Dumbarton (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dumbarton
county constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Dumbarton shown within the West Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	72,921 (2019)
Current constituency
Created	1999
Party	Labour
MSP	Jackie Baillie
Council area	West Dunbartonshire Argyll and Bute

Dumbarton (Gaelic: Dùn Breatann) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering parts of the council areas of Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the West Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

The seat has been held continuously by Jackie Baillie of Scottish Labour since being first contested at the 1999 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

The other nine constituencies of the West Scotland region are Clydebank and Milngavie, Cunninghame North, Cunninghame South, Eastwood, Greenock and Inverclyde, Paisley, Renfrewshire North and West, Renfrewshire South and Strathkelvin and Bearsden.

The region covers part of the Argyll and Bute council area, the East Dunbartonshire council area, the East Renfrewshire council area, the Inverclyde council area, North Ayrshire council area, the Renfrewshire council area and the West Dunbartonshire council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Dumbarton constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, the Westminster (House of Commons) constituency was abolished in favour of new constituencies.

The constituency takes in Helensburgh and Lomond from the Argyll and Bute council area and covers Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven in West Dunbartonshire. The rest of West Dunbartonshire is covered by the Clydebank and Milngavie. The rest of Argyll and Bute is covered by the Argyll and Bute constituency, which is within the Highlands and Islands electoral region.

From the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Dumbarton had its boundaries altered to include the following electoral wards:

• From West Dunbartonshire: Dumbarton, Leven, Lomond
• From Argyll and Bute: Lomond North, Helensburgh Central, Helensburgh and Lomond South

Constituency profile

Dumbarton is the only constituency in the Scottish Parliament to have voted Labour in every election in the devolved era. Ahead of the 2021 election, The Times profiled the seat:

Dumbarton is a diverse seat split between two local authorities: Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. Its two biggest towns, Dumbarton and Helensburgh, have very different demographics. Dumbarton has significant unemployment and deprivation. It is a traditional Labour territory but, as with many such heartlands, the party’s one-time supporters have become increasingly disaffected... Helensburgh, with its pretty, blustery waterfront, is more affluent and has benefited from its proximity to [Faslane naval] base.

Incumbent Jackie Baillie has cultivated a profile as a hard working local MSP, a reputation that has helped her retain the seat as the Labour Party has declined nationally. In the 2021 election there was speculation that the seat could vote SNP for the first time, but in the end, Baillie increased her majority from 109 to 1,483. The SNP candidate, Toni Giugliano, blamed his loss on pro-Union tactical voting, tweeting: "The Tory vote in Helensburgh went to Labour in extraordinary numbers to keep us out."

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jackie Baillie	17,825	46.3	6.1	10,228	26.6	1.5
	SNP	Toni Giugliano	16,342	42.5	2.6	14,766	38.4	0.5
	Conservative	Maurice Corry	3,205	8.3	6.3	8,110	21.1	2.1
	Green					2,444	6.4	1.3
	Liberal Democrats	Andy Foxall	676	1.8	1.6	986	2.6	1.2
	Alba Party					727	1.9	New
	All for Unity					291	0.8	New
	Scottish Family Party					211	0.5	New
	Independent Green Voice					192	0.5	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party					90	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian Party	Jonathan Rainey	134	0.3	New	73	0.2	0.0
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					70	0.2	New
	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition					73	0.2	New
	Reform UK					57	0.1	New
	Independent	James Morrison				65	0.2	New
	UKIP					48	0.1	1.9
	Independent	Maurice Campbell				27	0.1	New
	Scotia Future					16	0.0	New
	Renew Party					4	0.0	New
	Independent	James Morrison	183	0.5	New
	Independent	Andrew Muir	94	0.2	1.7
Majority			1,483	3.8	3.5
Valid Votes			38,459			38,478
Invalid Votes			106			58
Turnout			38,565	68.5	7.4	38,536	68.5	7.3
	Labour hold		Swing		1.8
Notes

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Dumbarton

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Region
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jackie Baillie	13,522	40.2	3.8	8,433	25.1	8.3
	SNP	Gail Robertson	13,413	39.9	1.6	13,059	38.8	0.4
	Conservative	Maurice Corry	4,891	14.6	2.6	7,779	23.1	10.3
	Green					1,683	5.0	2.3
	Liberal Democrats	Aileen Morton	1,131	3.4	0.4	1,265	3.8	0.4
	Independent	Andrew Muir	641	1.9	New
	UKIP					665	2.0	0.9
	Solidarity (Scotland)					263	0.8	0.3
	Scottish Christian Party					212	0.6	0.1
	RISE					186	0.6	New
	Scottish Libertarian Party					69	0.2	New
Majority			109	0.3	5.5
Valid Votes			33,598			33,614
Invalid Votes			100			75
Turnout			33,698	61.2	7.6	33,689	61.1	7.6
	Labour hold		Swing		2.75
Notes

2000s

1990s