Social deprivation and poor housing are serious problems in areas such as Nitshill, Priesthill, Arden and Corkerhill. Elsewhere in Glasgow substantial renewal has taken, or is taking, place, but Pollok offers little to attract the envy of residents in other parts of the city, let alone tourists.

A major problem for the area at the moment is chronic lack of investment in council houses. This is partially due to Scottish Executive plans to transfer social housing to the private sector, which means that local authorities are holding off on paying for vital improvements until it is transferred out of their responsibility.

The major employer in the constituency is the National Savings Bank, providing jobs for some 1,200 people. Redundancies were threatened in early 2000, but its transfer to Siemens Business Systems (from Barclays Bank) in July 2000 secured the jobs and created the possibility of greater employment in the future.