This consists of the 12 South Lanarkshire wards of the old Glasgow Rutherglen seat plus nine of the 12 wards from the old Hamilton South seat. At the northern end of the constituency it is almost entirely urban, with the main towns of Cambuslang and Rutherglen on the southern outskirts of Glasgow. The seat extends south on the west side of the M74 to take in Blantyre and part of Hamilton. Cambuslang was once known as the biggest village in Scotland. Since the demise of the steel and heavy engineering industries attempts have been made to attract employment to the area. Rutherglen was once a distinctive town and is very proud of its ancient burgh status. The name is said to come from the Gaelic 'reddish glen' after the red clay found there. A £40m regeneration programme has been launched including shops and housing. The Hamilton West part of the constituency is mainly urban, while Blantyre is perhaps best known for its connection with the famous African explorer and missionary, David Livingstone.
