Blantyre
South Lanarkshire
Outline map
Boundary of Blantyre in South Lanarkshire from 2007–2017.
Population15,968 (2021)[1]
Electorate12,850 (2022)
Major settlementsBlantyre
Scottish Parliament constituencyRutherglen
Uddingston and Bellshill
Scottish Parliament regionGlasgow
UK Parliament constituencyRutherglen and Hamilton West
Current ward
Created2007 (2007)
Number of councillors4 (2007–2017)
3 (2017–present)
CouncillorMaureen Chalmers (SNP)
CouncillorMo Razzaq (Labour)
CouncillorBert Thomson (Labour)
Created fromBlantyre West
Burnbank/Blantyre
Coatshill/Low Blantyre
High Blantyre
1974 (1974)–1995 (1995)
Number of councillors1
Replaced byBlantyre West
Coatshill/Low Blantyre

Blantyre is one of the 20 electoral wards of South Lanarkshire Council. Re-established in 2007, the ward initially elected four councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system before a boundary review in 2017 reduced the number of councillors to three. It covers an area with a population of 15,968 people.

The ward is a Labour stronghold with the party holding at least two of the seats since the ward's recreation. From 2014 to 2017, the party held all four seats in the ward.

Between 1974 and 1995, Blantyre was one of the 20 first-past-the-post electoral wards of Hamilton District Council.

Boundaries

The Blantyre ward was initially created in 1974 by the Formation Electoral Arrangements from the previous Blantyre electoral division of Lanark County Council. The ward centred around the town of Blantyre and took in the northwestern part of Hamilton District up to its border with the City of Glasgow District.[2] The original single-member ward, covering an area with an electorate of 4,648 people in 1974,[3] was much smaller than the current multi-member ward. The boundaries remained largely unchanged following the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1980.[4] The ward was abolished in 1995 following the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994. The second review became the Formation Electoral Arrangements for South Lanarkshire Council – an amalgamation of Hamilton District Council, East Kilbride District Council, Clydesdale District Council and part of the City of Glasgow District Council – following the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and the Blantyre ward was replaced by the Blantyre West and Coatshill/Low Blantyre wards.[5][6]

The ward was re-established following the Fourth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2007 Scottish local elections. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system from 2007 onwards so Blantyre was formed from an amalgamation of several previous first-past-the-post wards. It contained part of the former Burnbank/Blantyre and High Blantyre wards as well as all of the former Blantyre West and Coatshill/Low Blantyre wards. The Blantyre ward centres on the town of Blantyre, excluding the Hamilton International Technology Park and the modern West Craigs development on the town's southern periphery, in the north of South Lanarkshire between the towns of Cambuslang and Uddingston. The ward is bounded to the north and east by the River Clyde, to the west by the Rotten Calder and to the south by the A725 East Kilbride Expressway. The ward's northern boundary also coincides with the council's border with Glasgow City Council.[7] Following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections, streets around Ballantrae Road were transferred into Hamilton North and East. The review resulted in a reduction in the number of seats from four to three in order to balance with other wards with similar populations.[8]

Councillors

Single-member ward

Election Councillor
1974 D. Tremble
1988
1992 J. Handibode

Multi-member ward

Year Councillors
2007 Bert Thomson
(Ind./
SNP/
Labour)		 Jim Handibode
(Labour)		 John McNamee
(SNP/
Labour)		 Hugh Dunsmuir
(Labour)
2010
2012
2014
2015
by-election		 Mo Razzaq
(Labour)
2017 Maureen Chalmers
(SNP)		 3 seats
2022

Election results

2022 election

Blantyre - 3 seats
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
123456
SNP Maureen Chalmers (incumbent) 31.7 1,652          
Labour Mo Razzaq (incumbent) 29.2 1,519          
Labour Bert Thomson (incumbent) 15.7 815 826 997 1,031 1,066 1,307
SNP Gerry Chambers 10.4 542 855 864 872 972 982
Conservative Calum Nimmo 7.7 399 399 408 427 439  
Scottish Green David McClemont 3.2 169 179 183 205    
Liberal Democrats Stephen Reid 2.1 110 111 117      
Electorate: 12,850   Valid: 5,206   Spoilt: 165   Quota: 1,302   Turnout: 41.8%  

    Source:[9][10]

    2017 election

    Blantyre - 3 seats
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678
    Labour Mo Razzaq (incumbent) 31.0 1,663              
    SNP Maureen Chalmers 25.3 1,354              
    SNP Michael McGlynn 14.8 797 815 827 838 860 879 902  
    Labour Bert Thomson (incumbent) 13.6 731 980 980 988 1,013 1,051 1,278 1,533
    Conservative Alan Fraser 11.1 593 601 601 603 607 635    
    Liberal Democrats Stephen Reid 1.9 100 109 109 112 125      
    Solidarity Ashley Hubbard 1.4 76 80 81 101        
    Scottish Socialist Gerry McMahon 0.9 48 51 52          
    Electorate: 12,711   Valid: 5,362   Spoilt: 180   Quota: 1,341   Turnout: 43.6%  

      Source:[11][12]

      2015 by-election

      Blantyre by-election (10 December 2015) - 1 seat
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345
      Labour Mo Razzaq 47.2 1,476 1,483 1,504 1,536 1,589
      SNP Gerry Chambers 39.6 1,236 1,246 1,259 1,314 1,327
      Conservative Taylor Muir 4.5 140 156 172 173  
      Scottish Socialist Sean Baillie 3.9 122 125 133    
      Liberal Democrats Stephen Reid 2.9 92 97      
      UKIP Emma Jay Docherty 1.9 59        
      Electorate: 13,745   Valid: 3,125   Spoilt: 45   Quota: 1,563   Turnout: 23.1%  

        Source:[13]

        2012 election

        Blantyre - 4 seats
        PartyCandidateFPv%Count
        12345678910
        Labour Hugh Dunsmuir (incumbent) 25.0 1,144                  
        SNP Bert Thomson (incumbent)[note 1] 20.3 929                  
        Labour Jim Handibode (incumbent)[note 2] 16.6 756 936                
        Labour John McNamee (incumbent) 12.7 579 601 617 617 621 626 639 687 752 844
        SNP John Mullen 10.3 470 472 473 484 486 490 512 542 581  
        Independent Michael Martin 5.1 234 238 239 239 241 260 297 348    
        CPA Michael McGlynn 4.6 209 212 213 214 214 217 253      
        Conservative Isobel Black 3.9 176 179 179 180 188 191        
        Independent Gavin Wallace 0.9 40 41 42 42 45          
        Liberal Democrats Mike Watson 0.7 32 33 33 33            
        Electorate: 13,021   Valid: 4,569   Spoilt: 135   Quota: 914   Turnout: 35.1%  

          Source:[15]

          2007 election

          Blantyre - 4 seats
          PartyCandidateFPv%Count
          123456
          Labour Hugh Dunsmuir 24.6 1,586          
          Independent Bert Thomson[note 3][note 4] 21.2 1,365          
          SNP John McNamee[note 5] 19.4 1,253 1,339        
          Labour Jim Handibode[note 6] 17.4 1,121 1,260 1,270 ??? ??? ???
          Independent Michael McGlynn[note 7] 11.6 748 764 783 ??? ??? ???
          Conservative Morag Redpath 5.1 327 329 332 ??? ???  
          Independent Gavin Wallace 0.8 52 53 66 ???    
          Electorate: 13,782   Valid: 6,452   Quota: 1,291   Turnout: 48.0%  

            Source:[16][17]

            1992 election

            Blantyre
            Party Candidate Votes % ±%
            Labour J. Handibode 995 70.3 Increase 34.2
            SNP J. Pollock 409 28.9 New
            Majority 586 41.4 N/A
            Turnout 1,404 31.4 Decrease 19.2
            Registered electors 4,511
            Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing Increase 17.1

            Source:[18][19]

            1988 election

            Blantyre
            Party Candidate Votes % ±%
            Independent Labour M. Tremble 1,331 57.4 New
            Labour J. Handibode 837 36.1 Decrease 42.1
            Conservative L. McIntosh 137 5.9 Decrease 2.7
            Majority 494 21.3 N/A
            Turnout 2,305 50.6 Increase 7.4
            Registered electors 4,575
            Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing Increase 49.7

            Source:[19][20]

            1984 election

            Blantyre
            Party Candidate Votes %
            Labour D. Tremble 1,535 78.2
            Liberal D. McWhirter 253 12.9
            Conservative A. Walker 168 8.6
            Majority 1,282 65.3
            Turnout 1,956 43.2
            Registered electors 4,544
            Labour hold

            Source:[20][21]

            1980 election

            Blantyre
            Party Candidate Votes %
            Labour M. D. Tremble Unopposed
            Registered electors 4,718
            Labour hold

            Source:[21]

            1977 election

            Blantyre
            Party Candidate Votes % ±%
            Labour M. D. Tremble 1,608 61.2 Increase 4.9
            SNP J. Waugh 1,019 38.8 Decrease 4.9
            Majority 589 22.4 Increase 9.8
            Turnout 2,627 55.5 Increase 0.6
            Registered electors 4,784
            Labour hold Swing Increase 4.9

            Source:[22][23]

            1974 election

            Blantyre
            Party Candidate Votes %
            Labour D. Tremble 1,412 56.3
            SNP T. Rarity 1,094 43.7
            Majority 318 12.6
            Turnout 2,506 54.9
            Registered electors 4,648
            Labour win (new seat)

            Source:[23]

            Notes

            1. ↑ Blantyre SNP councillor Bert Thomson defected from the SNP and joined Labour in 2014.
            2. ↑ Blantyre Labour councillor Jim Handibode died on 19 September 2015.[14] A by-election was held to fill the vacancy on 10 December 2015 and was won by Labour's Mo Razzaq.
            3. ↑ Returning councillor for High Blantyre single-member ward.
            4. ↑ Blantyre councillor Bert Thomson subsequently joined the SNP and ceased to be an independent.
            5. ↑ On 1 February 2010, Blantyre councillor John McNamee resigned from the SNP and joined Labour.
            6. ↑ Returning councillor for Coatshill/Low Blantyre single-member ward.
            7. ↑ Returning councillor for Blantyre West single-member ward.

            References

            1. ↑ "Blantyre". Scottish Government. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
            2. ↑ "Formation Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
            3. ↑ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
            4. ↑ "Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
            5. ↑ "Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
            6. ↑ "Formation Electoral Arrangements in 1995". Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
            7. ↑ "Fourth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2006. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
            8. ↑ "Fifth Statutory Review of Electoral Arrangements; South Lanarkshire Council Area" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. May 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
            9. ↑ "Ward 15 Blantyre Declaration of Results Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
            10. ↑ "Ward 15 Blantyre Candidate Votes Per Stage Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
            11. ↑ "Ward 15 Blantyre Declaration of Results Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
            12. ↑ "Ward 15 Blantyre Candidate Votes Per Stage Elections". South Lanarkshire Council. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
            13. ↑ "Blantyre by-election - 10 December 2015". South Lanarkshire Council. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
            14. ↑ "Remembering Councillor Jim Handibode". Blantyre Telegraph. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
            15. ↑ "Local Government election results 2012". South Lanarkshire Council. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
            16. ↑ Teale, Andrew. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2007 - South Lanarkshire". Retrieved 19 February 2023.
            17. ↑ Bochel, H. M.; Denver, D. T. (2007). Scottish Council Elections 2007 Results and Statistics (PDF). Lincoln: Policy Studies Research Centre, University of Lincoln. ISBN 978-1-874474-36-4. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
            18. ↑ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1992). The Scottish Council Elections 1992: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. ISBN 1-869820-04-5. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
            19. 1 2 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1989). The Scottish District Elections 1988: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. ISBN 1-869820-02-9. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
            20. 1 2 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1984). The Scottish District Elections 1984: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
            21. 1 2 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1980). The Scottish District Elections 1980: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
            22. ↑ Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1977). The Scottish District Elections 1977: Results and Statistics (PDF). Dundee: Election Studies, University of Dundee. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
            23. 1 2 Botchel, J. M.; Denver, D. T. (1975). The Scottish Local Government Elections 1974: Results and Statistics (PDF). Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
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