This constituency has a deprived working-class inner-city feel, even in outer-city areas like Royston which were built up as a result of slum clearance. Tower blocks dominate the skyline whilst at ground level the only open space is usually wasteland.
The seat suffers from high unemployment, poor quality housing and a myriad other problems associated with urban decay. Like Rutherglen, another Glasgow seat, the suburb of Springburn itself was once an independent burgh and has its own museum, chronicling the town's glory days when it held the largest railway engineering yard in Europe.
Things have moved on since then, of course, and mostly not for the better, but Springburn has remained loyal to Labour.
The constituents of Springburn have had a father and son team of representatives since Scottish Parliament elections in May 1999. The MSP for the area, Paul Martin, is the son of sitting Westminster MP Michael Martin.
Michael Martin was elected Speaker of the House of Commons on 23 October 2000, and tradition dictates that other main parties do not contest the Speaker's seat.
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