It was a Conservative-Liberal marginal seat for the first three decades of its existence, before breaking this trend when the Labour Party won the seat in 1918. It remained a Labour-controlled seat for the next fifty-five years, except for a five-year Conservative interlude between 1950 and 1955, until being seized by the Scottish National Party at a by-election in 1973, only to be regained by Labour the following year. The SNP regained the seat at a 1988 by-election, only to lose it again to Labour in 1992. It remained under Labour control until its abolition thirteen years later.
1885–1918: "That part of the parish of Govan which lies south of the Clyde beyond the boundary of the Municipal Burgh of Glasgow".[1]
1918–1950: "That portion of the city which is bounded by a line commencing at a point on the municipal boundary at the centre of the River Clyde in line with the continuation of the centre line of Balmoral Street, thence eastward along the centre line of the River Clyde to a point in line with the continuation of the centre line of the portion of Govan Road to the west of Princes Dock, thence southward to and along the centre line of the said portion of Govan Road, Whitefield Road, Church Road and continuation thereof to the centre, of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, thence westward along the centre line of the said Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway to the municipal boundary, thence north-westward, northward, and eastward along the municipal boundary to the point of commencement."
1950–1955: The Craigton and Fairfield wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Govan ward.[2]
1955–1974: The Govan and Kinning Park wards of the county of the city of Glasgow, and part of the Fairfield and Kingston wards.[3]
1974–1983: The Glasgow wards of Fairfield, Govan, Kingston, and Kinning Park.
1983–1997: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Drumoyne/Govan, Mosspark/Bellahouston, and Penilee/Cardonald.
1997–2005: The City of Glasgow District electoral divisions of Govan/Drumoyne, Kingston/Pollokshields, and Langside/Shawlands.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies (Glasgow Pollok, Glasgow Craigton, Glasgow Govan and Glasgow Gorbals) Order 1955. SI 1955/26". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2198–2201.
^ a b cBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig
^Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
^ a b c d eBritish Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918 by FWS Craig
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
^F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949
^The Times, 8 December 1923
^Oliver & Boyd's Edinburgh Almanac, 1927
^The Times House of Commons, 1929
^The Times House of Commons, 1931
^The Times House of Commons, 1935
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1950
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1951
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1955
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1959
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1964
^Kimber, Richard. "UK General Election results 1964". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
^Whitaker's Almanack, 1966
^"UK General Election results: February 1974". Politicsresources.net. 28 February 1974. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
^"UK General Election results: October 1974". Politicsresources.net. 10 October 1974. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
Bibliography
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "G" (part 2)