Rutherglen: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Rutherglen is represented in the House of Commons by Michael Shanks (Labour). On 4 July 2024 Michael Shanks (Labour) won 21,460 votes, 50.5% of the valid vote; Katy Loudon (Scottish National Party) came second with 12,693. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 58.5% (42,484 of 72,674); the winning margin was 8,767 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Rutherglen has the 50th lowest share of children in low income families after housing costs of the 650 constituencies with this figure (13.6%).
In 2024/25, 13.6% of children under 16 in Rutherglen (2,136) lived in relative low income families once housing costs are taken off, says the DWP; the UK figure is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 12.6% in 2024/25, from 15.1% in 2021/22.
2,915 business sites were registered in Rutherglen in March 2026 (2,890 a year before), and employed 28,000 people in 2024.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 73.8% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 7.4 points. The economically inactive share was 24.3%.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £34,397 for jobs in Rutherglen and £39,276 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £39,496. The residents' figure ranks 263rd highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
In September 2026, 2.9% of 16 to 64 year olds in Rutherglen were claimants (1,695 people). September 2025 had 1,605.
MP
Michael Shanks, Labour
- MP for Rutherglen since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 5 October 2023
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Michael Shanks on this site
In Parliament
The 2 most recent spoken contributions by Michael Shanks in Hansard, on 21 October 2026, quoted from the official report. Hansard search returns 971 spoken contributions by Michael Shanks since 4 July 2024.
I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. I am grateful for his putting on record the fact that there are jobs in oil and gas in Hartlepool and in towns like it across the UK.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I do not agree with that, actually. I will give the same answer that I gave to the Green party. We absolutely believe in tackling the climate crisis and in building our way out of a dependence on fossil fuels, but I cannot just click my fingers and make that happen overnight.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 28 October 2026. Up to two items per debate; remarks under 40 characters are left out. All contributions in Hansard.
General election, 4 July 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Shanks | Labour | 21,460 | 50.5% | +19.4 |
| Katy Loudon | Scottish National Party | 12,693 | 29.9% | −13.2 |
| David Stark | Reform UK | 2,685 | 6.3% | |
| Gary Burns | Conservative | 2,420 | 5.7% | −11.6 |
| Gloria Adebo | Liberal Democrat | 1,714 | 4.0% | −3.2 |
| Bill Bonnar | Scottish Socialist Party | 541 | 1.3% | |
| Jim Eadie | Alba Party | 497 | 1.2% | |
| John McArthur | Scottish Family Party | 321 | 0.8% | |
| Andrew Daly | Independent | 153 | 0.4% |
Result summary as published: Lab gain from SNP. Change in share is in percentage points against the notional 2019 result on the new boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library, election results (data, read 14 October 2026).
Results on these boundaries
| Date | Election | First | Second | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | General election | Labour 50.5% | Scottish National Party 29.9% | 8,767 | 58.5% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Scottish National Party 43.1% | Labour 31.2% | 5,855 | 68.5% |
Only results on the constituency boundaries first used at the 2024 general election are shown. The 2019 figures are the House of Commons Library's notional estimates of how votes cast in 2019 would have fallen on these boundaries, not a result that was declared. Source: House of Commons Library, constituency results.
Councils
Rutherglen lies within South Lanarkshire.
- South Lanarkshire S12000029
Who has power over Rutherglen
Every body that makes decisions for Rutherglen, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
- Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government makes law for Scotland on devolved subjects
Level 6: National government
- Rutherglen this page: Michael Shanks (Labour) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
| Figure | Period | Publisher | Read | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimants as a share of residents aged 16 to 64 | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimant count | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Employment rate, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of residents | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of people working here | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Children in relative low income families, after housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, before housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Business sites (local units) | March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| People employed by businesses here | 2024 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Economically inactive, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
"Data" is the file or query each figure was read from (its SHA-256 is in the link title); "area" shows the same table for this constituency alone.
Common questions
Who is the MP for Rutherglen?
UK Parliament lists Michael Shanks, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Rutherglen since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Rutherglen?
Michael Shanks (Labour) won with 21,460 votes, a majority of 8,767, on a turnout of 58.5% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Rutherglen?
2.9% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,695 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average salary in Rutherglen?
Median full-time pay of residents was £39,276 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Rutherglen live in low income families?
DWP counts 2,136 (13.6% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
Built 14 October 2026 from official records; how these pages are compiled. This page lists what the record shows and gives no verdict on the MP or the area. Link moved or figure wrong? Tell us.