Latest headlines
- Victory for the SNP with 63 seats - two short of a majority
- Conservatives are the second largest party on 31 seats - but Labour on 24 lost 13 seats
- Scottish Greens are the fourth largest party with six seats, ahead of the Lib Dems who won five
- See the changing political map of Scotland
Scoreboard
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Net percentage change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party SNP Scottish National Party | CandidatesAlex Neil | Votes13,954 | 52.5% | Net percentage change in seats+2.4 |
| Party LAB Scottish Labour | CandidatesRichard Leonard | Votes7,762 | 29.2% | Net percentage change in seats−12.6 |
| Party CON Scottish Conservatives | CandidatesEric Holford | Votes4,164 | 15.7% | Net percentage change in seats+9.8 |
| Party LD Scottish Lib Dems | CandidatesLouise Young | Votes693 | 2.6% | Net percentage change in seats+0.4 |
Change compared with 2011 | ||||
Turnout and Majority
Scottish National Party Majority
6,192Turnout
49.3%Constituency Profile
Airdrie is significantly larger than Shotts, both of which are situated in an area which was historically dominated by traditional industries such as engineering, coal and steel.
The local prison in Shotts is one of the largest in Scotland. Re-built in 2012, it is situated south of the M8 and is a maximum-security jail used for 553 long-term adult male prisoners. The North Lanarkshire town of Airdrie is about 12 miles east of Glasgow and has a population of about 37,000. Chemist chain Boots delivered a blow to the local economy in 2005 when - after 50 years of production - it closed its Airdrie factory with the loss of 1,000 jobs. Housing has been built on the site where the plant stood.
At the inaugural elections in 1999, the seat was won by Labour’s Karen Whitefield. She retained it in 2003 and 2007. The SNP’s Alex Neil took it in 2011.
