Boundary split to hit Blantyre

May 28 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

BLANTYRE is to be split between two new constituencies in plans for a shake-up of Scottish Parliament boundaries.

High Blantyre will be part of a new Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency while the rest of the town will be part of the Rutherglen constituency.

Whitehill, Uddingston, Bothwell and Viewpark will be included in a new Uddingston and Bellshill constituency.

Hamilton South Labour MSP Tom McCabe, whose existing constituency currently includes Blantyre, said this week that he was sorry to see much of the town go from the new Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat.

“I have an affinity with Blantyre, but at the same time I represented Larkhall for a long number of years and it will be good to go back and work with people I already know,” he said.

“I feel sorry for the people of Blantyre and Hamilton. They have been a unit for years.

“I fought to keep them together, but unfortunately I haven’t been successful.”

Under the revised plans, published last week by the Boundary Commission for Scotland, the town of East Kilbride will stand alone, while its former rural hinterland – which includes Strathaven, Drumclog and Chapelton – will become part of an expanded Clydesdale constituency.

Clydesdale Labour MSP Karen Gillon: “I’m disappointed to be losing Larkhall. I have built up a relationship with people in the town.

“Clydesdale, however, is a very rural constituency. The Strathaven area is very similar to the area I already represent, and clearly has similar challenges to those in other parts of the Clydesdale constituency.”

The regional boundaries, that groups members elected under the additional member system, have also been redrawn with Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and East Kilbride part of a proposed new west central Scotland region.

Motherwell and Wishaw, and Uddingston and Bellshill, are in a proposed east central Scotland region and Strathaven is in a redrawn South of Scotland constituency.

The existing Central Scotland region SNP MSP Alex Neil said: “By and large I am happy with the constituency boundaries.

“However, I think putting Linlithgow in with North Lanarkshire in the (east central Scotland) regional constituency doesn’t make sense. Linlithgow belongs in the Lothians.”

Liberal Democrat MSP Hugh O’Donnell said he did not think the shake up would change the value of the Liberal Democrat vote in the Hamilton and Strathaven areas.

He added: “It is still well within the capacity of the Liberal Democrats to contest both these new regional areas.”

The South of Scotland region SNP MSP Aileen Campbell said she was happy that “strong historical and social links” of areas like Lanark, Carluke and Biggar had been “respected” in the new Clydesdale constituency.

She said: “The residents of Clydesdale will continue to have a constituency boundary which will reflect the similar social, economic and environmental issues faced by communities throughout the region, and allows them to be tackled more effectively.”

The proposals are out for public consultation and representations can be made by email to representations@scottishboundaries.gov.uk.

The Boundary Commission expects to complete its review and submit its report to the Scottish Secretary by June 30, 2010.