Motherwell and Wishaw is located in the very industrial heart of Scotland and is a seat that has suffered more than most because of the decline in traditional industries. This is the site of the former Ravenscraig steelworks which were closed in 1992 and levelled to the ground in 1996. The closure led directly to the loss of 1500 jobs and the economy has been hit much further afield than just in Motherwell.
Jobs have also been lost in this particular seat thanks to the decline of its two other indigenous industries, coal and engineering, making this anything but an employment hot spot. The industrial landscape has been softened in recent years through the development of Strathclyde Country Park, which includes a 200 acre man-made loch.
Motherwell has a historical significance for the SNP; it was the scene of the 1945 wartime by-election at which Dr Robert McIntyre was elected as the SNP’s first MP. He was only an MP for a few months with Labour winning the seat back at the 1945 general election and holding it ever since.