Paisley is a
constituency of the
Scottish Parliament (
Holyrood) covering the town of
Paisley in
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Re ...
council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot)
A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act. ...
. It elects one
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the
first past the post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
method of election. It is also one of ten constituencies in the
West Scotland electoral region, which elects seven
additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
for the region as a whole.
The constituency was created for
2011 Scottish Parliament election
The 2011 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.
The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the Additional M ...
, and covers parts of the former constituencies of
Paisley North and
Paisley South.
It has been held by
George Adam
George James Adam (born 8 June 1969) is a Scottish politician who has served as the Minister for Parliamentary Business since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Pais ...
of the
Scottish National Party (SNP) since its formation.
Electoral region
The other nine constituencies of the West Scotland region are
Clydebank and Milngavie,
Cunninghame North,
Cunninghame South,
Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
,
Eastwood,
Greenock and Inverclyde,
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
East Dunbartonshire ( sco, Aest Dunbartanshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Bhreatainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north of Glasgow and contains many of the affluent areas to the north of the city, including Bear ...
, 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
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Re ...
is represented in the
Scottish Parliament by three constituencies: Paisley,
Renfrewshire North and West and
Renfrewshire South.
The electoral wards of the Paisley constituency are:
*In full:
**
Paisley Northeast and Ralston
**
Paisley East and Central
**
Paisley Southeast
**
Paisley Southwest
*In part:
Paisley Northwest (shared with
Renfrewshire North and West)
Constituency profile
The constituency covers most of the town of Paisley, the
Gallowhill area in the northeast of the town lying in the neighbouring seat of Renfrewshire North and West. Paisley is often considered the
biggest town in Scotland, and gave its name to the distinctive kidney-shaped
"paisley pattern" and the
Paisley shawl
Paisley shawls were a fashionable item of women's clothing in the 19th century made of intricately woven and delicate wool. Although known as the Paisley pattern, the teardrop motif originated in Persia and India, becoming popular in Europe—and ...
. Textile and thread manufacture were long the mainstay of Paisley's industry, due to the damp climate and plentiful water, and by the 19th century, the town was a major centre for the
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
industry.
Paisley has a long association with political
Radicalism, highlighted by its involvement in the
Radical War
The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which had become prominent in the ear ...
of 1820, with striking weavers being instrumental in the protests. By 1993, all of Paisley's mills had closed, although they are memorialised in the town's museums and civic history. The decline of industry in the town has led to urban recession, and in 2006, the district of
Ferguslie Park
Ferguslie Park is a residential suburb at the north-west extremity of Paisley in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is bordered by the town of Linwood to the west and Glasgow Airport to the north. Ferguslie Park has history of being among the most ...
was named one of Scotland's most deprived areas by what was then the Scottish Executive. In 2015, the town launched its bid to become UK City of Culture in 2021, becoming one of the five shortlisted candidates,
before eventually losing out to
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
.
The constituency features four railway stations,
a major hospital and several notable churches. Most noticeable among the buildings of Paisley is
Paisley Abbey in the centre of the town, which dates from the 12th century. Nearby lies
St Mirin's Cathedral which is the seat of the Catholic
Bishop of Paisley.
[
]
Members
Elections
2020s
2010s
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paisley (Scottish Parliament Constituency)
Politics of Paisley, Renfrewshire
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions from 2011
Constituencies of the Scottish Parliament
Constituencies established in 2011
2011 establishments in Scotland