Coatbridge & Chryston LAB Hold

Scottish Parliament election

constituency

	Coatbridge & Chryston	LAB Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Elaine Smith	LAB	13422	56.2	-3.1
	James Gribben	SNP	4851	20.3	-4.6
	Donald Reece	CON	2046	8.6	-0.9
	Gordon Martin	SSP	1911	8.0	+8.0
	Doreen Nisbet	LD	1637	6.9	+0.6
		MAJORITY	8571	35.9
		TURNOUT	23867	46.3

ELECTORATE	51521

Top-up region: Central Scotland

DESCRIPTION: Coatbridge & Chryston

This seat is located north east of Glasgow in an industrial working-class environment, with Coatbridge serving as its largest town. Smaller communities are found at Glenboig, Stepps, Auchinloch and Chryston, and like Coatbridge most have economies centred around manufacturing. Unemployment is relatively high, as is the number of council-rented homes. Calder is mostly made up of council estates.

The SNP is the second party here, but this has been one of Labour safest Scottish seats. Tom Clarke has held it since a by-election in 1982 following the death of James Dempsey. Mr Clarke’s majority at the 2001 general election was 15,314. The Labour left-winger Elaine Smith was elected the MSP in 1999 with a majority is 10,404. The Nationalists would need a swing of over 17% to win.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	17923	59.4
	SNP	7519	24.9
	CON	2867	9.5
	LD	1889	6.3

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	19807	65.3
	SNP	4493	14.8
	LD	2293	7.6
	CON	2171	7.2
	SSP	1547	5.1