May 2011 sees Glasgow losing a seat for the Scottish Parliament elections. Basically this is because of the City’s falling population over the years. Although all Glasgow constituencies are having their boundaries changed, it is the Baillieston constituency which is effectively being abolished. The northern half becomes part of Provan, while the southern part joins with Shettleston.

The rough boundaries of Shettleston will be:
High Street in the west;
the M73 in the east;
Duke Street and then the railway line from Parkhead to Swinton in the north, but also including Barlanark and Calvay;
River Clyde in the south.
The exact boundaries are on the Commission’s website at www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk

As far as Council wards are concerned, the whole of wards 9 (Calton) and 19 (Shettleston) are included as well as the bulk of 20 (Baillieston).

The Boundaries Commission is very strict in ensuring that the size of all constituencies is about the same. So the inevitable result is that some boundaries do end up splitting communities. Examples of this are Duke Street which is not a natural boundary; and also Barlanark and Calvay might have felt they should be in the same constituency as Easterhouse, Wellhouse, and Easthall. However, it probably could have been worse!