HISTORICALLY the constituency of Clydebank and Milngavie has been a battleground between Labour and the SNP.

SNP’s Gil Paterson seized the seat from Labourite Des McNulty in 2011. Before that, Mr Paterson had been a list MSP in Central Scotland before being unelected, returning to running his business and becoming an office-bearer of his party as vice convenor of fundraising.

The constituency had been held by Mr McNulty for three terms, since the conception of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Mr Paterson did challenge him in 2007 but lost out by about 3,000 votes to McNulty’s 11,617.

Before 2011, the seat had been a Labour stronghold. Now, the SNP has control. 

Turnout in 2011 was 53.1 per cent. In 2007, it was 55.9 per cent. In 2003, 51.66 per cent of the electorate voted. 

During the independence referendum the turnout and political engagement was high, so it is expected more people will enter polling stations than in previous years.

Turnout at Holyrood elections is traditionally lower than other elections.

In the constituency, the Tories and Liberal Democrats have scored between 10 and 14 per cent each since the first election in 1999.