Wikipedia

Airdrie (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Airdrie (Gaelic: An t-Àrd-Ruigh agus Shotts) is a county constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the council area of North Lanarkshire.[2] It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Prior to the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025 the seat was known as Airdrie and Shotts: the name was changed to avoid confusion with the Airdrie and Shotts constituency of the UK Parliament. The first election under this new name will be at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.[3]

Airdrie
County constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Airdrie shown within the Central Scotland and Lothians West electoral region, and the region shown within Scotland
Electoral regionCentral Scotland and Lothians West
Electorate54,495 (2026)[1]
Major settlementsAirdrie, Caldercruix, Shotts
Current constituency
Created1999 (as Airdrie and Shotts)
PartyScottish National Party
MSPNeil Gray
Council areaNorth Lanarkshire

Under the additional-member electoral system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the constituency is also one of nine that together form the Central Scotland and Lothians West electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.[4]

The seat has been held by Neil Gray of the Scottish National Party since the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

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The other eight constituencies of the Central Scotland and Lothians West region are Almond Valley, Bathgate, Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Falkirk West, Motherwell and Wishaw, and Uddingston and Bellshill.[5] The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area, all of the West Lothian council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.[2]

Prior to the 2025 boundary review Airdrie and Shots was one of nine constituencies forming the Central Scotland region. The other eight seats in this region were: Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Falkirk West, Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Motherwell and Wishaw and Uddingston and Bellshill. The region covered all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

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Map
Map of boundaries from 2005

Airdrie and Shotts was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the existing Airdrie and Shotts constituency of the House of Commons. Ahead of the 2005 United Kingdom general election, Scottish constituencies for the House of Commons were mostly replaced with new constituencies, whilst initially being retained for elections to the Scottish Parliament.[6] There is no longer any direct link between the boundaries used for the two parliaments.

The seat was renamed simply Airdrie ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. It is now one of four Scottish Parliament constituencies covering the North Lanarkshire council area, the others being Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Motherwell and Wishaw and Uddingston and Bellshill, the last of which spans parts of both North and South Lanarkshire.

The constituency lies entirely within the North Lanarkshire council area, and covers following electoral wards of North Lanarkshire Council:[7]

Member of the Scottish Parliament

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Election results

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2020s

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2026 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie[1][8]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Neil Gray[a] 10,711 42.0 Decrease 8.6 7,925 30.9 Decrease 13.7
Labour Suzanne MacLeod 6,201 24.3 Decrease 9.1 5,408 21.1 Decrease 3.8
Reform Graham Simpson[b] 5,821 22.8 New 6,302 24.6 Increase 24.4
Green 2,457 9.6 Increase 5.3
Conservative Euan Blockley 1,145 4.5 Decrease 9.4 1,519 5.9 Decrease 14.5
Liberal Democrats Ed Thornley 660 2.6 Increase 0.8 670 2.6 Increase 1.1
Independent Brendan O'Donnell 505 2.0 New
AtLS 278 10.8 New
Scottish Family 223 0.9 Increase 0.4
Independent Green Voice 220 0.9 Increase 0.4
BUP John Jo Leckie[c] 441 1.7 New 189 0.7 Increase 0.5
ISP 180 0.7 New
Scottish Socialist 114 0.4 New
Workers Party 51 0.2 New
Advance UK 49 0.2 New
Scottish Libertarian 44 0.2 Steady
UKIP 24 0.1 Decrease 0.1
Majority 4,510 17.7 Increase 0.5
Valid votes 25,484 25,653
Invalid votes 91 50
Turnout 25,575 46.93 Decrease 12.17 25,703 47.17 Decrease 11.93
SNP hold Swing Increase 0.3
Notes
  1. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ↑ Elected on the party list
  3. ↑ Also standing for the Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party - regional votes are for the latter party only.
2021 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie and Shotts[9][10][11][12]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Neil Gray[a] 16,139 50.6 Decrease1.9 14,251 44.6 Decrease2.9
Labour Richard Leonard[b] 10,671 33.4 Increase4.2 7,964 24.9 Decrease1.5
Conservative Ross Lambie 4,422 13.9 Decrease1.8 6,528 20.4 Increase4.4
Liberal Democrats John Cole 562 1.8 Decrease0.8 495 1.5 Decrease0.1
No label Jimmy Dowson 132 0.4 New
Green 1,362 4.3 Increase1.0
Alba 534 1.7 New
All for Unity 188 0.6 New
Scottish Family 166 0.5 New
Independent Green Voice 148 0.5 New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 76 0.2 New
Scottish Libertarian 60 0.2 New
Reform 53 0.2 New
UKIP 51 0.2 Decrease2.5
Freedom Alliance (UK) 46 0.1 New
Independent Paddy Hogg 33 0.1 New
Majority 5,468 17.2 Decrease6.1
Valid votes 31,926 31,955
Invalid votes 75 49
Turnout 32,001 59.1 Increase9.6 32,004 59.1 Increase9.6
SNP hold Swing Decrease3.1
Notes
  1. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ↑ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2010s

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2016 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie and Shotts[13][14]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Alex Neil[a] 13,954 52.5 Increase2.4 12,646 47.5 Increase0.6
Labour Richard Leonard 7,762 29.2 Decrease12.6 7,029 26.4 Decrease10.9
Conservative Eric Holford 4,164 15.7 Increase9.8 4,270 16.0 Increase11.0
Green 880 3.3 Increase1.8
UKIP 730 2.7 Increase2.2
Liberal Democrats Louise Young 693 2.6 Increase0.4 423 1.6 Increase0.3
Solidarity 279 1.0 Increase0.8
RISE 106 0.4 New
Scottish Christian 248 0.9 Decrease0.4
Independent Deryck Beaumont 35 0.1 New
Majority 6,192 23.3 Increase14.9
Valid votes 26,573 26,646
Invalid votes 102 26
Turnout 26,675 49.5 Increase2.8 26,672 49.5 Increase2.8
SNP hold Swing Increase7.5
Notes
  1. ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie and Shotts[15]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Alex Neil 11,984 50.2 N/A 11,186 46.9 N/A
Labour Karen Whitefield 9,983 41.8 N/A 8,884 37.3 N/A
Conservative Robert Crozier 1,396 5.8 N/A 1,186 5.0 N/A
All-Scotland Pensioners Party 461 1.9 N/A
Green 367 1.5 N/A
Socialist Labour 330 1.4 N/A
Scottish Christian 313 1.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats John Love 531 2.2 N/A 301 1.3 N/A
BNP 278 1.2 N/A
UKIP 110 0.5 N/A
Independent Hugh O'Donnell 80 0.3 N/A
Scottish Socialist 78 0.3 N/A
Solidarity 43 0.2 N/A
Others 222 0.9 N/A
Majority 2,001 8.4 N/A
Valid votes 23,894 23,839
Invalid votes 87 119
Turnout 23,981 46.7 N/A 23,958 46.7 N/A
SNP win (new boundaries)

2000s

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2007 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie and Shotts
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Karen Whitefield 11,907 43.8 −12.8
SNP Sophia Coyle 10,461 38.5 +17.6
Conservative Iain McGill 2,370 8.7 −0.1
Liberal Democrats Robert Gorrie 1,452 5.4 0.0
Scottish Voice Mev Brown 970 3.6 New
Majority 1,446 5.3 −34.8
Rejected ballots 1,536 2.7
Turnout 27,160 47.1 +2.8
Labour hold Swing -15.2
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie and Shotts
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Karen Whitefield 14,209 59.0 +4.8
SNP Gil Paterson 5,232 20.9 −7.3
Conservative Alan Melville 2,203 8.8 −0.8
Scottish Socialist Fraser Coates 2,096 8.4 New
Liberal Democrats Kevin Lang 1,346 5.4 −1.7
Majority 8,977 38.1 +11.1
Turnout 25,086 46.3 −11.3
Labour hold Swing

1990s

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1999 Scottish Parliament election: Airdrie and Shotts
Party Candidate Votes %
Labour Karen Whitefield 18,338 55.2
SNP Gil Paterson 9,353 28.2
Conservative Patrick Ross-Taylor 3,177 9.6
Liberal Democrats David Miller 2,345 7.1
Majority 8,985 27.0
Turnout 33,213 57.6
Labour win (new seat)

References

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Citations

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  1. 1 2 "ELECTION OF A MEMBER TO SERVE IN THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT FOR THE AIRDRIE (Central Scotland and Lothians West Region)" (PDF). North Lanarkshire Council. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 140.
  3. ↑ Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 19.
  4. ↑ Second Review of Scottish Parliament: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 28.
  5. ↑ Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 28.
  6. ↑ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived 2007-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers, p 140.
  8. ↑ "Airdrie". BBC News. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Central Scotland Region: Notice of Poll and Statement of Persons Nominated". North Lanarkshire Council. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Airdrie and Shotts Constituency: Notice of Poll and Statement of Persons Nominated". North Lanarkshire Council. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Constituencies A-Z | Airdrie & Shotts, BBC News; retrieved 8 May 2021
  12. ↑ "Scottish Parliament Elections 6 May 2021". North Lanarkshire Council. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Central Scotland – 2016 Results and 2021 Candidates". Ballot Box Scotland. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 June 2021.

Bibliography

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See also

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