Politics of Glasgow: Updated with 1974-1992

[afleitch]

Hopefully I can extend this back to the 1920's and onwards through the regional, district and unitary authorities.

At this time, there were elections every years (some contested) in what was effectively a city council elected in 'thirds' IIRC

First off a key



And for reference



Part 1.

[afleitch]

Part 2

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Interesting to see that 1968, while still dreadful, wasn't the total disaster for Labour that it was in a lot of other big cities. "Progressive" strength in Exchange also interesting; presumably "no one" lived there but small businessmen, though that might be a wrong presumption. And also I'll take a guess that the growth in Labour strength in the 'burbs reflects the building of new estates and so on.

Great stuff anyway.

[afleitch]

Interesting to see that 1968, while still dreadful, wasn't the total disaster for Labour that it was in a lot of other big cities. "Progressive" strength in Exchange also interesting; presumably "no one" lived there but small businessmen, though that might be a wrong presumption. And also I'll take a guess that the growth in Labour strength in the 'burbs reflects the building of new estates and so on.

Great stuff anyway.

Exchange had a population of just 20,000 in 1951, the lowest of any ward. By 1971 it had more than halfed. So it's population was essentially people who 'lived above their shops' and other assorted residencies. Due to the huge changes in population after 1948 (when the boundaries were set) if anything Labour are under-represented.

However, as the next lot of maps will show it is debatable as to whether Labour 'built the 'Tories' out' of Glasgow or whether it was the the municipal mobilsation of the Tories themselves that killed effective opposition to Labour.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Exchange had a population of just 20,000 in 1951, the lowest of any ward. By 1971 it had more than halfed. So it's population was essentially people who 'lived above their shops' and other assorted residencies.

Thought so, yeah.

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Long period with no re-warding; I think Birmingham may even have been re-warded twice in the same period (though it may have been just once. No, I think it was twice...)

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The "building out" argument always did seem stronger for Glasgow than other places, 'though probably more important (more important than the fragmentation you're getting onto) would presumably be middle class people just leaving the city. Population of Glasgow dropped like a stone in the decades after the War.

[afleitch]

The "building out" argument always did seem stronger for Glasgow than other places, 'though probably more important (more important than the fragmentation you're getting onto) would presumably be middle class people just leaving the city. Population of Glasgow dropped like a stone in the decades after the War.

It is a strange combination of all of the above.

Certainly building Castlemilk and the Pollock estates chased the Tories out of contention in Cathcart and Pollock respectively (though Teddy Taylor's personal vote can't go without a mention here). Likewise, picking a leafy residential area and building 5 stonking 1000 people + high rises on a small footprint was certainly a tried and tested tactic, movement out of Glasgow more than offset this. If it wasn't for Glasgow's tight boundaries no one would really have 'noticed' as such.

History is however repeating itself. Glasgow has been furiously demolishing much of it's housing stock and will undergo a 'contraction' of sorts. With housing now outwith political control and in the hands of the GHA, Labour may effectively be 'demolished' out of some parts of the city.

[afleitch]

Part 3

[afleitch]

Bit of a jump back here.



The above map shows the wards as they were prior to 1926 (left) and 1926-1948 (right) after the city expanded. This expansion was into then rural areas and took place piecemeal to 1938. No new wards were created.

The three green wards are those which you won't find on the other map. They were abolished in 1948. From left to right they are Sandyford, Blythswood and Whitevale.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Are the three slumland or [qm]

[afleitch]

Are the three slumland or [qm]

Quite the opposite.

Sandyford and Blythswood are essentially areas of large Georgian/early Victorian townhouses. However the middle classes had began their drift to Cathcart, Kelvinside etc and anywhere else they could have a car friendly life. Whitevale was the east-end equivalent.



Nowadays, while these buildings still stand; both areas (with part obliteration by the M8) house businesses, dentists, architects and nurseries.

Notice the expansion would later provide spaces for Castlemilk, Easterhouse and Drumchapel. They never built on the northwards extension of Maryhill due to the implementation of the green belt.

[afleitch]

[afleitch]

One of the most interesting times in municipal politics.

[afleitch]

An update here. Note; the formation, 1977 and 1980 results are 'notional' based on the 1984-92 wards supplied by the Herald/Evening Times. The actual results, in terms of areas of the city council don't really differ (though 1980 is a little unfair to the Tories)

Yellow for SNP, Gold for the Lib Dems and Maroon for the Trots.

[joevsimp]

Yellow for SNP, Gold for the Lib Dems and Maroon for the Trots.


Scottish Millitant  Labour? iirc, Tommy Sheridan amongst them?


on a completely alien topic, when (if it ever had it) did Glasgow abolish the business vote?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, Liberal success in Rutherglen may be one of the least expected local election patterns ever. Was it a 'fyck you Glasgow City Council' vote or did it exist before the resented amalgamation?

I suppose its also interesting to note that the Tories lost a ward even in 1992, like a strange echo of what happened in 1979. Also, did Woy not have any impact on local politics in his constituency?

[California8429]

Politics aside, your City Chambers is gorgeous

[afleitch]

Yeah, Liberal success in Rutherglen may be one of the least expected local election patterns ever. Was it a 'fyck you Glasgow City Council' vote or did it exist before the resented amalgamation?

I suppose its also interesting to note that the Tories lost a ward even in 1992, like a strange echo of what happened in 1979. Also, did Woy not have any impact on local politics in his constituency?

Rutherglen North should be yellow in 1974. My mistake I'll get round to fixing that.

Rutherglen South (later Fernhill) was won by Robert Brown, later MSP for Glasgow Region and he held the ward due to a large level of personal support. 1970's politics in Rutherglen was certainly influenced by the unpopular move to incorporate it into Glasgow. However worth noting that even in 2007, Rutherglen South returned a Lib Dem councillor with party support at over 25%.

The ward the Tories lost in 1992 (although they were compensated with Shawlands) was Pollockshields. It was a shock result with allegations of ballot stuffing. The successful candidate was of course a certain, soon to be MP with the initials MS...

The Liberals were more successful at SSR Regional level. Here wards were 'partnered' with a neighbour to create Regional Divisions. In the Regional Elections of 1982, the Alliance won Kelvindale/Kelvinside which they held in 1986, despite the Tories holding it at the District level. In 1982, the Tories also won 3 ED's but were wiped out in 1986.

Politics aside, your City Chambers is gorgeous

Isn't it Almost gaudy.

[afleitch]

This one is a bit of fun.

Here are the actual Polling District results from 2007



And here are the estimated results applying the swing for each constituency onto the polling districts. Due to the massive movement in Shettleston in particular, I would expect the SNP to have won more polling districts than a direct swing would show.

[Pete Whitehead]

Great stuff. On your last post what is the second map? I'm guessing this is the recent Scottish parliament (notional result)? Is that constituency level or regional?
What areas are the two polling districts the Tories carried in 2007?

[afleitch]

Great stuff. On your last post what is the second map? I'm guessing this is the recent Scottish parliament (notional result)? Is that constituency level or regional?
What areas are the two polling districts the Tories carried in 2007?

First of all Welcome!...and your name is somewhat familiar!

The first map contains the Polling District results from 2007. The Tory won polling districts are Thornliebank at the boundary with Eastwood and Victoria Park/Jordanhill in the North West

The second map is an estimate of how these districts may have voted in May by applying the vote changes in each constituency across all the districts in that constituency.  This of course has some flaws. The Kings Park/Gorbals areas south of the Clyde that used to be part of Rutherglen and Shettleston are filled in for Labour when, as part of Glasgow Southside they probably swung more heavily towards the SNP than Southside did to the extent that the SNP probably topped the poll there.

Indeed the results for Shettleston itself because of the huge movement towards the SNP are probably a little too fair to Labour however the general picture matches with what we know; Mason performing strongly in middle class Mount Vernon and Garrowhill (which he won in the 2008 by-election) but also in Bridgeton and Calton.

The 'not Labour' vote coalesced around the SNP so in the second map, despite benig theoretical you can see the SNP outpolling Labour in areas where Labour have had the upper hand since the 1970's and in a few places where they have been the dominant party for much much longer.