Rutherglen & Hamilton West
2015 Result:
Conservative: 4350 (7.6%)
Labour: 20304 (35.2%)
Lib Dem: 1045 (1.8%)
SNP: 30279 (52.6%)
UKIP: 1301 (2.3%)
Others: 336 (0.6%)
MAJORITY: 9975 (17.3%)
Category: Semi-marginal SNP seat
Geography: Scotland, Central. Part of the South Lanarkshire council area.
Main population centres: Rutherglen, Hamilton, Blantyre, Cambuslang.
Profile: Rutherglen is a former heavy industrial town, once a centre for coal mining and the chemicals industry but now largely a dormitory suburb for Glasgow (a city it was administratively part of from 1975 to 1996. Neighbouring Cambuslang was once a steel working town and the site of Hoover`s factory, but that is now closed although the town still has some limited steel works. To the south the constituency curls around East Kilbride to include the western part of Hamilton.
Politics: Until 1964 this was a Conservative seat - the idea that the Conservatives would be able to win a heavy industrial seat in Scotland on the outskirts of Glasgow seems absurd to modern politics - and indeed, in 2015 they finished in a poor third place. For the next fifty years it was a safe Labour seat, but like many others fell to the SNP in 2015.
| Con: | 4540 (10%) |
| Lab: | 28566 (61%) |
| LDem: | 5636 (12%) |
| SNP: | 7564 (16%) |
| Oth: | 675 (1%) |
| MAJ: | 21002 (45%) |
| Con: | 3621 (8%) |
| Lab: | 24054 (56%) |
| LDem: | 7942 (18%) |
| SNP: | 6023 (14%) |
| Oth: | 1621 (4%) |
| MAJ: | 16112 (37%) |
| Con: | 3301 (11%) |
| Lab: | 16760 (57%) |
| LDem: | 3689 (13%) |
| SNP: | 4135 (14%) |
| Oth: | 1328 (5%) |
| MAJ: | 12625 (43%) |
| Con: | 3288 (9%) |
| Lab: | 20430 (58%) |
| LDem: | 5167 (15%) |
| SNP: | 5423 (15%) |
| Oth: | 1213 (3%) |
| MAJ: | 15007 (42%) |
Personally I feel a little bit sorry for her. Though clearly she did the wrong thing, when you read the details it’s not such a pure open and shut case as the media have portrayed. But as the SNP have set themselves up as such holier-than-thou critics of all other parties’ indiscretions there is surely no way out for her. If she is forced out as an MP in the end it would be a good opportunity for Labour, who retain a lot of residual strength here.
I do find myself in complete dispair over covid guidance at the moment. Before today I would have said there’s no excuse for this. Should have isolated for a week and once the test has got a negative result or the week is over return. We’ve been doing this throughout the pandemic. But i advised a colleague to seek advice today and they were told to isolate for 10 days. I swear theyre making it up as they go along now
Well, looks like she’ll brazen this out and wait for the storm to blow over. She’s 60…maybe she just wants to get 4 and a bit more years in and then retire. There doesn’t seem to be much chat about the recall procedure being implemented here either.
There cannot be a custodial sentence and so no chance of a suspension from the House. Therefore, no recall process can start.
I too am not one of those who are after her. People can act irrationally when under extreme stress. And, to add some background and context, lawyers who test positive for Covid19, can legally attend court to act in proceedings!