At its northern and western borders it blends into Glasgow's suburbs and the vast Castlemilk housing scheme.

It was traditionally a Conservative seat, and has always striven to maintain some autonomy since it was absorbed by Glasgow in the 1970s.

However, the changes in the 1970s led the Westminster constituency to be mostly made up of council estates south-east of the Glasgow city centre and it became a Labour safe seat.

The seat included not only Rutherglen itself but also the town of Cambuslang, and the housing schemes at Fernhill, Toryglen and Whitlawburn.

Although now mostly outside Glasgow local government area, the constituency was still seen as a safe Labour seat.