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Falkirk Constituency: Electoral Dynamics and Political History

An in-depth analysis of the Falkirk UK Parliament constituency, exploring its geographical boundaries, electoral history, and significant political events.

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Constituency Overview

Defining Falkirk

The Falkirk constituency represents a county constituency within the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Parliament. Established for the 2005 general election, it was formed by consolidating the former Falkirk West constituency and a significant portion of Falkirk East. As of March 2020, the electorate numbered 75,067 citizens.

Key settlements within the constituency include the town of Falkirk itself, alongside Camelon, Larbert, and Polmont, reflecting a diverse demographic and geographical composition.

Electoral Trajectory

Historically, Falkirk was considered a secure seat for the Scottish National Party (SNP), notably holding the largest majority for the SNP in Scotland during the 2015 general election, a record it maintained in the 2019 general election. This established its reputation as a significant stronghold within Scottish politics.

However, the political landscape shifted dramatically in the 2024 general election. Following the retirement of the previous SNP Member of Parliament, John McNally, the Labour candidate, Euan Stainbank, secured a victory. This outcome marked a notable political upset, returning the seat to the Labour Party for the first time in over a decade.

Geographical Boundaries

Constituency Scope

The Falkirk constituency encompasses the central town of Falkirk and extends westward to include Denny and Banknock, and eastward to the village of Whitecross. It integrates most of the various towns and villages within its council area, creating a comprehensive electoral district.

Notable communities within its bounds include Bainsford, Banknock, Bonnybridge, Brightons, Camelon, Denny, Glen Village/Hallglen, Head of Muir, Laurieston, Maddiston, Polmont, Redding, Rumford, Shieldhill, Tamfourhill, Wallacestone, Westquarter, and Whitecross.

Boundary Evolution

The constituency's boundaries have undergone revisions to reflect demographic and administrative changes:

2005โ€“2024 Configuration:

Under the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies, the boundaries were initially defined according to the ward structure in place on November 30, 2004. Despite subsequent reviews of local government ward boundaries in 2007 and 2017, the parliamentary boundaries remained consistent during this period. The constituency comprised the following wards or partial wards of Falkirk Council:

  • Bonnybridge and Larbert
  • Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst
  • Denny and Banknock
  • Falkirk North (excluding a very small portion)
  • Falkirk South
  • Lower Braes (majority)
  • Upper Braes (minority)

2024โ€“Present Configuration:

Following the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which took effect for the 2024 general election, the constituency's composition was adjusted. It now includes the Falkirk Council wards of:

  • Denny and Banknock
  • Falkirk North
  • Falkirk South
  • Lower Braes
  • Upper Braes
  • Southern parts of Bonnybridge and Larbert, specifically including Bonnybridge.

Significant changes involved the transfer of the Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst ward, along with the northern parts of Bonnybridge and Larbert ward, to the newly formed constituency of Alloa and Grangemouth. This shift was partially offset by the addition of remaining portions of Falkirk North, Lower Braes, and Upper Braes wards, which were transferred from the Linlithgow and East Falkirk constituency.

Political History

The 2013 Selection Controversy

The Falkirk constituency gained national attention in 2013 due to a significant internal dispute within the Labour Party regarding the selection of a candidate to succeed the outgoing MP, Eric Joyce. This controversy pitted the Labour Party leadership against Unite the Union, a major trade union.

Allegations surfaced that local officials of Unite, under the leadership of Len McCluskey, engaged in "bulk-buying" and "packing" of the Falkirk Constituency Labour Party (CLP) with their own members. The objective was reportedly to secure the selection of their preferred candidate, Karie Murphy, who was an office manager for Labour's election chief, Tom Watson. A leaked Unite document from December 2012 described their activity in Falkirk as "exemplary," noting the recruitment of over 100 Unite members to a CLP with fewer than 200 existing members, with many allegedly unaware they were joining the Labour Party.

Aftermath and Resolutions

In response to these allegations, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party convened an emergency meeting on June 25, 2013. An internal report found "sufficient evidence for concern about the legitimacy of some new recruits," leading to the Falkirk CLP being placed under "special measures." This action meant the central party assumed direct control over the parliamentary selection process, and the memberships of all individuals who had joined the constituency party after March 12, 2012 (the date Eric Joyce announced his retirement), were suspended.

Unite the Union vehemently rejected the NEC's disciplinary measures, issuing a press statement that accused the party of "Blairite pressure to exclude trade unionists." Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband publicly criticized "a few individuals" for "vote-rigging." The controversy escalated, leading to the resignation of Tom Watson from the Shadow Cabinet on July 4, and the suspension of both Karie Murphy and Falkirk CLP chairman Stephen Deans by Labour HQ. The internal Labour Party investigation report was subsequently handed over to Police Scotland for further inquiry. Ultimately, the NEC imposed an all-women shortlist for the Falkirk CLP, aiming to restore integrity to the selection process.

Parliamentary Members

Representatives of Falkirk

The Falkirk constituency, since its creation in 2005, has been represented by a succession of Members of Parliament (MPs) from different political parties. The seat was formed from the previous Falkirk West and a significant portion of Falkirk East constituencies.

Election Member Party Notes
2005

Eric Joyce

Labour MP for Falkirk West from 2000
2012 Independent
2015 John McNally SNP
2024 Euan Stainbank Labour

Electoral Results

Recent General Elections

The Falkirk constituency has witnessed dynamic electoral contests since its inception, reflecting broader shifts in Scottish and UK politics. The results below provide a detailed breakdown of the votes cast and the performance of various parties in recent general elections.

General election 2024: Falkirk

Party Candidate Votes % ยฑ%
Labour Euan Stainbank 18,343 43.0 +30.9
SNP Toni Giugliano 13,347 31.3 โˆ’20.5
Conservative James Bundy 3,576 8.4 โˆ’17.5
Reform UK Keith Barrow 3,375 7.9 +7.5
Green Rachel Kidd 1,711 4.0 +0.9
Liberal Democrats Tim McKay 1,092 2.6 โˆ’4.2
Independent Mark Tunnicliff 600 1.4 New
Alba Zohaib Arshad 581 1.4 New
Majority 4,996 11.7 N/A
Turnout 42,625 57.9 โˆ’8.0
Registered electors 73,584
Labour gain from SNP Swing +25.7

2019 Notional Result (based on 2024 boundaries)

2019 notional result [a]
Party Vote %
Scottish National Party 25,210 51.8
Conservative 12,632 25.9
Labour 5,880 12.1
Liberal Democrats 3,304 6.8
Scottish Greens 1,511 3.1
Brexit Party 176 0.4
Majority 12,578 25.8
Turnout 58,713 64.9
Electorate 75,067

General election 2019: Falkirk

Party Candidate Votes % ยฑ%
SNP John McNally 29,351 52.5 +13.6
Conservative Lynn Munro 14,403 25.8 โˆ’0.4
Labour Safia Ali 6,243 11.2 โˆ’18.6
Liberal Democrats Austin Reid 3,990 7.1 +5.0
Green Tom McLaughlin 1,885 3.4 +1.7
Majority 14,948 26.7 +17.6
Turnout 55,872 66.1 +0.6
SNP hold Swing +7.0

Note: Safia Ali was suspended by the Labour Party over allegations of anti-Semitic posts, but remained on the ballot as nominations had closed. This contributed to Labour's significant vote share drop. This election also marked the largest numerical majority in Scotland for the SNP.

General election 2017: Falkirk

Party Candidate Votes % ยฑ%
SNP John McNally 20,952 38.9 โˆ’18.8
Labour Craig Martin 16,029 29.8 +4.7
Conservative Callum Laidlaw 14,088 26.2 +14.1
Liberal Democrats Austin Reid 1,120 2.1 +0.1
Green Debra Pickering 908 1.7 New
UKIP Stuart Martin 712 1.3 โˆ’1.7
Majority 4,923 9.1 โˆ’23.5
Turnout 53,809 65.5 โˆ’6.9
SNP hold Swing โˆ’11.8

General election 2015: Falkirk

Party Candidate Votes % ยฑ%
SNP John McNally 34,831 57.7 +27.4
Labour Karen Whitefield 15,130 25.1 โˆ’20.6
Conservative Alison Harris 7,325 12.1 +0.9
UKIP David Coburn 1,829 3.0 +0.5
Liberal Democrats Galen Milne 1,225 2.0 โˆ’8.3
Majority 19,701 32.6 N/A
Turnout 60,340 72.4 +10.4
SNP gain from Labour Swing +24.1

General election 2010: Falkirk

Party Candidate Votes % ยฑ%
Labour Eric Joyce 23,207 45.7 โˆ’5.2
SNP John McNally 15,364 30.3 +8.9
Conservative Katie Mackie 5,698 11.2 +1.3
Liberal Democrats Kieran Leach 5,225 10.3 โˆ’5.7
UKIP Brian Goldie 1,283 2.5 New
Majority 7,843 15.4 โˆ’15.9
Turnout 50,777 62.0 +2.4
Labour hold Swing โˆ’7.0

General election 2005: Falkirk

Party Candidate Votes % ยฑ%
Labour Eric Joyce 23,264 50.9 โˆ’2.9
SNP Laura Love 9,789 21.4 โˆ’2.2
Liberal Democrats Callum Chomczuk 7,321 16.0 +9.2
Conservative David Potts 4,538 9.9 +1.5
Scottish Socialist Danny Quinlan 838 1.8 โˆ’0.5
Majority 13,475 29.5 โˆ’0.7
Turnout 45,750 59.6 +2.2
Labour win (new seat)

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References

References

  1.  Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs รขย€ย“ Constituencies beginning with "F"
A full list of references for this article are available at the Falkirk (UK Parliament constituency) Wikipedia page

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Disclaimer

Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.

This is not professional political or electoral advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official government publications, electoral commission data, or seeking advice from qualified political analysts or legal professionals regarding electoral processes or political matters. Always refer to authoritative sources for specific political or electoral information.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.