Editing Clydebank (section)

==Governance and politics==
Clydebank is in [[West Dunbartonshire]], one of the 32 [[Subdivisions of Scotland#Council areas|council areas]] of Scotland. West Dunbartonshire Council, the unitary [[Local government in Scotland|local authority]], is based in [[Dumbarton]], {{convert|7|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} to the northwest, although Clydebank is the largest town in the council area. For local electoral purposes, West Dunbartonshire is split into [[Wards of the United Kingdom|wards]] electing either three or four councillors. The [[Clydebank Waterfront (ward)|Clydebank Waterfront ward]] broadly covers the area between the River Clyde and the Forth and Clyde Canal, including the town centre, Whitecrook and part of [[Dalmuir]]; it also includes neighbouring Old Kilpatrick. The [[Clydebank Central (ward)|Clydebank Central ward]] includes Kilbowie, Linnvale, Radnor Park, Parkhall and the northern part of Dalmuir.

West Dunbartonshire is also divided into [[community council]] areas: those covering Clydebank include Dalmuir and Mountblow; Parkhall, North Kilbowie and Central; Linnvale and Drumry; and Clydebank East. The area that is now Clydebank was once in the territory of the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde]] and has been part of the [[Counties of Scotland|historic county]] of [[Dunbartonshire]] since medieval times. From 1890 onwards, Dunbartonshire was an area of local government administered by a [[county council]]. Although Dunbartonshire ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975, it continues to exist as both a [[Lieutenancy areas of Scotland|Lieutenancy area]] and [[registration county]]. Clydebank is also within the ancient [[Parish (administrative division)#Scotland, Wales and Ireland|parish]] of Old Kilpatrick. The town became a [[burgh]] in 1886; as such, it exercised most local government functions independently of the county council. Following the abolition of administrative counties in 1975, a new [[Clydebank (district)|Clydebank District]] was created within [[Strathclyde Region]] under the new [[Regions and districts of Scotland|two tier system of local government]]. As well as Clydebank itself and its suburbs, the district also covered a wider area including Old Kilpatrick and [[Bowling, West Dunbartonshire|Bowling]]. This lasted until the creation of the present unitary authorities in 1996.

In the early 20th century the town was synonymous with the Scottish socialist movements led by the shipyard workers along the river Clyde, giving rise to the title of [[Red Clydeside]]. The 11,000 workers at the largest factory of [[Singer Corporation|Singer]] sewing machines went on [[Strike action|strike]] in March–April 1911, ceasing to work in solidarity of 12 female colleagues protesting against work process reorganisation. Following the end of the strike, Singer fired 400 workers, including all strike leaders and purported members of the [[Industrial Workers of Great Britain]], among whom [[Arthur McManus]], who later went on to become the first chairman of the [[Communist Party of Great Britain]] between 1920 and 1922.<ref name=Singer1911>[http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyeve01.htm The Singer strike 1911], ''Glasgow Digital Library''</ref>

Labour unrest, particularly by women and unskilled labour, greatly increased between 1910 and 1914 in Clydeside, with four times more days on strike than between 1900 and 1910. During these four years preceding [[World War I]], membership of those affiliated to the [[Scottish Trades Union Congress]] rose from 129,000 in 1909 to 230,000 in 1914.<ref name=Singer1911/> The town is part of a single urban area (officially the Glasgow City Metropolitan Area) with the terms [[Glasgow]] and [[Greater Glasgow]] often used interchangeably, though for some Clydebank residents any claim of the town being part of Glasgow can be a sensitive issue. This Glasgow City Metropolitan Area includes places falling within the limits of several local authorities surrounding Glasgow proper; these form a single health service area, [[NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde]]. Most of Clydebank uses the Glasgow telephone area code "0141", however Duntocher, Faifley, Hardgate and Old Kilpatrick use "01389". The G81 postcode is the most widely used in the area, but Bowling and Old Kilpatrick use G60.

===Coat of arms===
[[File:Clydebank burgh coat of arms.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Coat of Arms of the Burgh of Clydebank 1892–1975.]]

The Burgh of Clydebank adopted an unofficial [[coat of arms]] in 1892, when it was required to obtain a common seal by the [[Police burgh|Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892]]. The design was described disparagingly by [[Arthur Charles Fox-Davies]] as a ''fine healthy specimen of home-made heraldry''.<ref>A.C. Fox-Davies, ''The Book of Public Arms'', 2nd edition, London, 1915</ref>

The design comprised a shield surmounted by a [[mural crown]], above which was a helm bearing a wreath and crest. In the centrepiece of the shield was a Lennox Cross representative of the ancient Earls of Lennox. In chief position was a sewing machine representing the [[Singer Corporation]] and in base position "on the waves of the sea" was a representation of the battleship {{HMS|Ramillies|1892|6}} built at J & G Thomson's Clydebank Shipyard in 1892. In the dexter fess position was a stag's head taken from the coat of arms of shipbuilder James Rodger Thomson, the first Provost of the Burgh. In sinister fess position there was a lion rampant taken from the coat of arms of local landowner, Alexander Dunn Pattison of Dalmuir. The crest was a garb or wheatsheaf representing the agricultural interests of the area. The [[Latin]] motto below the shield was ''Labore et Scientia'' or ''by work and by knowledge''.

In 1929 there was a concerted campaign by the office of [[Lord Lyon King of Arms]] to ensure that all burghs using unmatriculated arms regularised their position, and more than fifty burghs registered arms between 1929 and 1931. This led to Clydebank's arms being matriculated on 6 February 1930. The 1930 grant was almost identical to the 1892 device.<ref>R. M. Urquhart, ''Scottish Burgh and County Heraldry'', London, 1973</ref>

When the burgh was abolished in 1975 to become part of a larger Clydebank District, the burgh arms went out of use. Clydebank District Council was granted new arms on 3 September 1975, consisting of a red saltire on a white field for the ancient province of [[Lennox (district)|Lennox]] and for the town's more recent historic links to Ireland which previously used the same flag. The cog-wheel symbolised all the local industries and the demi-figure of [[Saint Patrick]] referred to Old Kilpatrick, a burgh of barony from 1672, and where the saint is reputed to have been born. A representation of part of the Roman [[Antonine Wall]] was included as the Wall and Roman forts at Old Kilpatrick and Greenhill were features common to the burgh and to the villages in the district. The [[lymphad]] (galley ship) was for Clyde shipbuilding. The burgh motto was retained.<ref>R.M. Urquhart, ''Scottish Civic Heraldry'', London, 1979</ref>

At the request of the district council, the arms were rematriculated on 19 April 1985 with the addition of a dove of peace in the centre of the saltire. The coat of arms went out of use in 1996 with the abolition of the District Council. In 1998, the successor West Dunbartonshire Council was granted very similar arms.<ref>R.M. Urquhart, ''Scottish Civic Heraldry 2'', Hamilton, 2001</ref>