BBC News: Election 2010 BBC News

East Renfrewshire is the new name for the old Eastwood seat. It used to be held by the Conservatives. Allan Stewart became Tory MP in 1979. In 1997 Stewart stood down and Paul Cullen was selected as the Conservative candidate but the seat fell to Labour's Jim Murphy, on a swing of 14.3%. Murphy trebled his majority in 2001.

In 2005 the Boundary Commission decided to retain the seat's boundaries, making it one of only three Scottish constituencies to escape this wide-ranging review unaltered, though its name was changed to East Renfrewshire. At the general election Jim Murphy's majority fell to 6,657.

There are no boundary changes affecting this seat.

This constituency includes several middle-class commuter towns in the far south of the Glasgow conurbation. It takes in a large rural area to the south and west.

Barrhead is the exception to the general prosperity. Overall, it is well-educated and the vast majority of the workforce is employed in non-manual positions.

Attractions in the area include a number of reservoirs, Rouken Glen, and the new Dams to Darnley Country Park.

Whitelee Wind Farm was completed in 2009. When built, it was Europes largest onshore wind farm.