The whole of the city centre is contained in this one seat, including Kelvingrove art gallery, the central station, the cathedral, city museum, BBC offices and Scottish Exhibition Centre.
All three of Glasgow's universities are in this constituency, making it the most educated seat in Scotland. The huge student population is an important factor in elections here.
The Merchant City is also here, yuppie housing built out of the disused cotton and tobacco warehouses. This area is a symbol of the rebirth of the city on the heels of its triumph in capturing European City of Culture status in 1990 (ahead of rivals Paris, Amsterdam and Athens) although tellingly many properties in this area are still to let. Kelvin is undoubtedly the most prosperous seat in the rejuvenated city.
Kelvin's predecessor seat, Glasgow Hillhead, was the last Conservative seat in Glasgow until Roy Jenkins won it for the SDP at a by-election in 1982. He held it at the 1983 General Election but it was taken by Labour's George Galloway in 1987. One of Labour's more outspoken MPs, George Galloway has increased his vote at each subsequent election.
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