Hamilton North & Bellshill LAB Hold

Scottish Parliament election

constituency

	Hamilton North & Bellshill	LAB Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Michael McMahon	LAB	12812	53.0	+4.2
	Alex Neil	SNP	4907	20.3	-10.5
	Charles Ferguson	CON	2625	10.8	+0.6
	Shareen Blackhall	SSP	1932	8.0	+8.0
	Sibohan Mathers	LD	1477	6.1	-0.6
	Gordon McIntosh	SPA	442	1.8	+1.8
		MAJORITY	7905	32.7
		TURNOUT	24195	46.6

ELECTORATE	51965

Top-up region: Central Scotland

DESCRIPTION: Hamilton North & Bellshill

Hamilton North and Bellshill contain a number of individual communities, such as Uddingston, Holytown and a small part of Hamilton. All are united in being predominantly working-class and industrial. Ten miles south-east of Glasgow, this is an ex-mining area which is also close to the Ravenscraig former steelworks. Economically, things have not been so good for the seat's inhabitants, and employment creation remains an issue. Among recent blows was the loss of 290 jobs with the closure of the Daks Simpson clothing factory in Larkhall.

This has been another safe Labour seat. Leader of the House and former Scottish Secretary Dr John Reid has been the MP for this area since 1987. Michael McMahon won the Scottish Parliament seat for Labour with a much reduced majority, compared to 1997, of nearly 18% of the vote. The SNP was the closest behind, increasing its votes haul in 1999 by more than 2,000 despite a lower turnout than in 1997.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	15227	48.8
	SNP	9621	30.8
	CON	3199	10.2
	LD	2105	6.7
	SLP	1064	3.4

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	18786	61.8
	SNP	5225	17.2
	CON	2649	8.7
	LD	2360	7.8
	SSP	1189	3.9
	SLP	195	0.6