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

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