Lanarkshire West constituency in Boundary Commission proposals

The name ‘Rutherglen’ could disappear from the electoral map for UK parliament elections.

Proposals put forward by the boundary commission involve changing the name of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency to Lanarkshire West.

Minor changes are also recommended to the boundary so a new development at Greenlees in Cambuslang is included.

The proposed constituency has a electorate of 76,341.

The UK Government wants to slash the number of MPs across the UK to 600, but many observers say the proposed reform will not make it through parliament.

Gerard Killen, the current MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, said: “In terms of the boundary, the constituency remains largely intact.

“I suppose the logic behind the name is to try to encompass all of the towns in the constituency but it will be sad to see the end of a 100-year link to one of the oldest Burghs in Scotland in the parliamentary constituency name.”

Rutherglen councillor Robert Brown said he was “strongly against” losing Rutherglen from the constituency name.

He added: “People identify strongly with historic communities, not least in Rutherglen with its historic Royal Burgh status.

“The actual boundaries at least keep Rutherglen and Cambuslang intact within one constituency, although I think a link with Bothwell and Uddingston might have been a more obvious link.”

Under the proposals, Castlemilk, Toryglen, Croftfoot and King’s Park will form part of a new Glasgow South East constituency.

Toryglen is currently part of Glasgow Central while the other areas are part of Glasgow South.

The number of UK Parliament constituencies in Scotland is set to reduce from 59 to 53.

Comments on the proposals will be welcomed by Boundary Commission Scotland until December 11.