The Eastwood constituency is to be retained with it’s existing geographical boundary for future elections to the Scottish Parliament.
As part of a periodic review of Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions, Boundaries Scotland published plans in May 2023 to discontinue Eastwood, as a distinct first-past-the-post seat.
Clarkston, Busby, Netherlee, Giffnock and Thornliebank were to be merged with parts of Glasgow.
Newton Mearns, Eaglesham and Waterfoot had been proposed to join with communities including Howwood, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch in a new constituency.
Following local inquiry meetings in December 2023, Boundaries Scotland announced during April 2024 that Eastwood would be saved but with Neilston added to the constituency.
However in a new development, Boundaries Scotland has now set out a further revision of the constituency proposals and Eastwood is to be maintained in it’s existing format.
Neilston has been removed from Eastwood so that it remains in a constituency with the other communities of Levern Valley in the form of Barrhead and Uplawmoor in a new Renfrewshire West constituency.
Boundaries Scotland has confirmed that as Eastwood has reverted to it’s existing boundary, the constituency is excluded from the latest consultation.
Scottish Conservative MSP for Eastwood, Jackson Carlaw said:
“Eastwood is a distinct geography in it’s own right and as part of Boundaries Scotland’s initial consultation process, I argued strongly for the constituency to be saved.
“I was delighted to learn earlier in the year that the initial plans to remove the seat from the list of parliamentary constituencies had indeed been binned.
“In my written representation to the further consultation initiated by Boundaries Scotland in April, I highlighted there was a clear logic towards adding Neilston to Eastwood as it shares a council ward with part of Newton Mearns and it used to be included within the seat.
“However and to be consistent with the previous arguments I had made about keeping Eastwood’s communities together, I noted that this would nonetheless mean splitting Neilston from Barrhead and Uplawmoor in the Levern Valley.
“On this basis and to avoid the removal of the long-standing links between the Levern Valley communities, I argued that the more preferable option may still have been to retain Eastwood with it’s existing boundary.
“It is welcome that Eastwood is excluded from the new consultation and with the constituency set to be maintained for future Scottish Parliament Elections.”
Notes:
Boundaries Scotland announcement of the new constituency and regional boundaries consultation is attached. In the first paragraph of page 2, it is confirmed that Eastwood is excluded from this exercise. On page 5, the first paragraph of the “Glasgow, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire” section highlights that Neilston has been included in the new Renfrewshire West seat to maintain local links in the Levern Valley.
Jackson Carlaw’s representation to the April-May consultation in which he highlighted the local ties between the Levern Valley areas is attached.
