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Elections in Scotland

 
Wikipedia: Elections in Scotland
 
Scotland

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Scotland



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Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils.

Contents

Scottish Parliament

General elections

Only political parties with more than 1% of the total vote are shown.

Elections are held every four year. The electoral system used is explained here.

Most recent election

A map showing the constituency winners of the Election by their party colours.


[discuss] – [edit]
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
Parties Additional member system Total seats
Constituency Region
Votes  % +/− Seats +/− Votes  % +/− Seats +/− Total +/−  %
  Scottish National Party 664,227 32.9 +9.1 21 +12 633,401 31.0 +10.2 26 +8 47 +20 37.0
  Labour 648,374 32.2 -2.5 37 −9 595,415 29.2 -0.1 9 +5 46 −4 36.2
  Conservative 334,743 16.6 0 4 +1 284,005 13.9 -1.6 13 −2 17 −1 13.4
  Liberal Democrats 326,232 16.2 +0.9 11 −2 230,671 11.3 -0.5 5 +1 16 −1 12.6
  Scottish Green 2,971 0.2 +0.2 0 - 82,584 4.0 -2.8 2 −5 2 −5 1.6
  Scottish Senior Citizens 1,702 0.1 +0 0 - 38,743 1.9 +0.4 0 −1 0 −1 0
  Solidarity - - - - - 31,066 1.5 +1.5 0 0 0 0 0
  Scottish Christian 4,586 0.2 +0.2 0 0 26,575 1.3 +1.3 0 0 0 0 0
  British National - - - - - 24,616 1.2 +1.1 0 0 0 0 0
  Christian Peoples - - - - - 14,745 0.7 +0.7 0 0 0 0 0
  Socialist Labour - - - - - 14,244 0.7 -0.4 0 0 0 0 0
  Scottish Socialist 525 0.0 -6.2 0 - 12,731 0.6 -6.1 0 −6 0 −6 0
  UK Independence - - - - - 8,197 0.4 −0.2 0 0 0 0 0
  Others 33,618 1.7 -1.2 0 −2 45,116 2.2 -0.7 1 1 1 −2 0.8
  Total 2,016,978[1] 100 +2.5 73   2,042,089 100 56   129   100.0

Overall turnout - 51.8%[1]

Previous election

A map showing the constituency winners of the Election by their party colours.


[discuss] – [edit]
Scottish Parliament election, 2003
Parties Additional member system Total seats
Constituency Region
Votes  % +/− Seats +/− Votes  % +/− Seats +/− Total +/−  %
  Labour 659,879 34.6 –4.21 46 –7 561,379 29.3 –4.34 4 +1 50 –6 38.8
  Scottish National Party 449,476 23.8 –4.96 9 +2 399,659 20.9 –6.36 18 –10 27 –8 20.9
  Conservative 312,598 16.6 +1.04 3 +3 296,929 15.5 +0.15 15 –3 18 ±0 14.0
  Liberal Democrat 286,150 15.3 +1.15 13 +1 225,774 11.8 –0.63 4 –1 17 ±0 13.2
  Scottish Green 132,138 6.9 +4.9 7 +6 7 +6 5.4
  Scottish Socialist 117,709 6.2 +5.19 0 ±0 128,026 6.7 +3.1 6 +5 6 +5 4.7
  Others 65,523 3.4 +2.5 2 +1 171,951 8.9 +2.2 2 +2 4 +3 3.1
  Total 1,891,335 100.0   73   1,915,856 100.0   56   129   100.0

Past elections

Scottish Parliament election, 1999

By-elections

UK Parliament

General elections

Only parties with more than 1% of the total vote are shown.

2005

UK Parliament election 2005: Scotland
List Candidates Votes % ±%
Labour 40 (-5) 922,397 38.9 -4.4
Liberal Democrat 11 (+2) 528,076 22.6 +6.3
Scottish National Party 6 (+2) 412,267 17.7 -2.4
Conservative 1 (+1) 369,388 15.8 +0.2
Scottish Socialist None 43,514 1.9 -1.2
Scottish Green None 25,760 1.1 +0.9

2001

UK Parliament election 2001: Scotland
List Candidates Votes % ±%
Labour 55 (-1) 1,001,173 43.3 -2.3
Scottish National Party 5 (-1) 464,314 20.1 -2.0
Liberal Democrat 10 (no change) 378,034 16.3 +3.4
Conservative 1 (+1) 360,658 15.6 -1.9
Scottish Socialist None 72,516 3.1 +2.8

By-elections

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

  • Galloway by-election, 1959, Unionist hold
  • East Aberdeenshire by-election, 1958, Unionist hold
  • Argyll by-election, 1958, Unionist hold
  • Glasgow Kelvingrove by-election, 1958, Lab gain from Unionist
  • Edinburgh South by-election, 1957, Unionist hold
  • Greenock by-election, 1955, Lab hold
  • Edinburgh North by-election, 1955, Unionist hold
  • Inverness by-election, 1955, Unionist hold
  • Motherwell by-election, 1954, Lab hold
  • Edinburgh East by-election, 1954, Lab hold
  • Dundee East by-election, 1952, Lab hold
  • Glasgow Scotstoun by-election, 1950, Unionist hold
  • Dunbartonshire West by-election, 1950, Lab hold

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

  • Bothwell by-election, 1919, Labour gain from Coalition Unionist
  • Elgin Burghs by-election, 1918, Liberal hold
  • Ross by-election, 1918, Unionist hold
  • Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities by-election, 1917, Unionist hold
  • Dundee by-election, 1917, Liberal hold
  • Edinburgh South by-election, 1917, Liberal hold
  • Aberdeen South by-election, 1917, Liberal hold
  • West Perthshire by-election, 1917, Unionist hold
  • Inverness-shire by-election, 1917, Liberal hold
  • Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities by-election, 1916, Unionist hold
  • North Ayrshire by-election, 1916, Unionist hold
  • Berwickshire by-election, 1916, Liberal hold
  • Glasgow Central by-election, 1915, Unionist hold
  • Kilmarnock District by-election, 1915, Liberal hold
  • Wigtownshire by-election, 1915, Unionist hold
  • East Fife by-election, 1914, Liberal hold
  • Leith Burghs by-election, 1914, Unionist gain
  • South Lanarkshire by-election, 1913, Unionist gain
  • Wick District by-election, 1913, Liberal hold
  • Linlithgowshire by-election, 1913, Liberal hold
  • Edinburghshire by-election, 1912, Unionist gain
  • Glasgow St Rollox by-election, 1912, Liberal hold
  • Edinburgh East by-election, 1912, Liberal hold
  • Govan by-election, 1911, Liberal hold
  • North Ayrshire by-election, 1911, Liberal gain
  • Kilmarnock District by-election, 1911, Liberal hold
  • Glasgow Tradeston by-election, 1911, Liberal hold
  • Ross and Cromarty by-election, 1911, Liberal hold
  • Haddingtonshire by-election, 1911, Liberal hold
  • North East Lanarkshire by-election, 1911, Liberal hold
  • Edinburgh South by-election, 1910, Liberal hold
  • Govan by-election, 1910, Liberal hold

European Parliament

General elections

2004 and 1999

Contested under the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, see:

The Scotland-wide constituency replaced 8 first-past-the-post constituencies, which were used in the elections between 1979 and 1994:

1994

Contested under the first-past-the-post voting system (only parties with more than 1% of total vote shown):

European Election 1994: Scotland
List Candidates Votes % ±%
Labour Kenneth Collins
Alexander Falconer
David Martin
Hugh McMahon
Bill Miller
Alex Smith
635,955 42.5 +0.6
Scottish National Party Winnie Ewing
Allan Macartney
487,239 32.6 +7.0
Conservative None 216,669 14.5 -6.4
Liberal Democrat None 107,811 7.2 +2.9
Scottish Green None 23,304 1.6 -5.6

1989

Contested under the first-past-the-post voting system (only parties with more than 1% of total vote shown):

European Election 1989: Scotland
List Candidates Votes % ±%
Labour Janey Buchan
Kenneth Collins
Alexander Falconer
David Martin
Henry McCubbin
Hugh McMahon
Alex Smith
664,263 41.9 +1.2
Scottish National Party Winnie Ewing 406,686 25.6 +7.7
Conservative None 331,495 20.9 -4.9
Green None 115,028 7.2 +7.0
Liberal Democrat None 68,056 4.3 -11.3

1984

Contested under the first-past-the-post voting system (only parties with more than 1% of total vote shown):

European Election 1984: Scotland
List Candidates Votes % ±%
Labour Janey Buchan
Kenneth Collins
Alexander Falconer
David Martin
Hugh McMahon
526,056 40.7 +7.7
Conservative Alasdair Hutton
James Provan
332,771 25.8 -7.9
Scottish National Party Winnie Ewing 230,590 17.9 -1.5
SDP-Liberal Alliance None 201,782 15.6 +1.7

1979

Contested under the first-past-the-post voting system:

European Election 1979: Scotland
List Candidates Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Dalziel
Adam Fergusson
Alasdair Hutton
James Provan
John Purvis
430,772 33.7 N/A
Labour Janey Buchan
Kenneth Collins
421,968 33.0 N/A
Scottish National Party Winnie Ewing 247,836 19.4 N/A
Liberal None 178,433 13.9 N/A

By-elections

  • North East Scotland by-election, 1998, SNP gain from Lab

Local councils

General elections

As one consequence of the Gould Report[2], the next council elections are scheduled for 2012 (one year after the Parliamentary elections); this date will be confirmed when the Scottish Local Government (Elections) Bill[3] is enacted.

2007

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 3 May 2007 Scottish council election results[4]
Parties Votes[5] Votes % +/- Councillors Net
Gain/Loss
Labour 590,085 28.1 -4.5% 348 -161
Scottish National Party 585,885 27.9 +3.8% 363 +182
Conservative 327,591 15.6 +0.5% 143 +21
Liberal Democrats 266,693 12.7 -1.8% 166 -9
Independent 228,894 10.9 +0.8% 192 -38
Other 102,897 4.9 +1.3% 10[6] +6
Total 2,099,945 1,222

The election was contested for the first time under the STV system of proportional representation.

See Scottish council elections, 2007 for further analysis

2003

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 1 May 2003 Scottish council election results
Parties Votes Votes % +/- Wards Net
Gain/Loss
Labour 611,843 32.6 -3.7% 509 -42
Scottish National Party 451,660 24.1 -4.6% 181 -23
Conservative 282,895 15.1 +1.6% 122 +14
Liberal Democrats 272,057 14.5 +1.9% 175 +18
Independent 189,749 10.1 +3.0% 230 +39
Other 67,533 3.6 +2.0% 4 -6
Total 1,875,737 1,222

By-elections

2008

  • date to be announced: Abbey (4-member ward), Dumfries and Galloway, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: result pending (result May 2007: 2 Con, 1 SNP, 1 Lab)
  • 1 May: Troup (3-member ward), Aberdeenshire, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: result pending (result May 2007: 1 SNP, 1 Con, 1 Ind)
  • 6 March: Cambuslang East (3-member ward), South Lanarkshire, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: Lab gain from SNP (result May 2007: 2 Lab, 1 SNP; after by election: 3 Lab)
  • 28 February: Lerwick South (4-member ward), Shetland, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: Ind hold (result May 2007: 4 Ind; after by election: 4 Ind)
  • 21 February: Highland (3-member ward), Perth and Kinross, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: SNP hold (result May 2007: 2 SNP, 1 Con; after by election: 2 SNP, 1 Con)
  • 14 February: Elgin City South (3-member ward), Moray, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: SNP gain from Ind (result May 2007: 1 SNP, 1 Lab, 1 Ind; after by election: 2 SNP, 1 Lab)
  • 31 January: Kilsyth (3-member ward), North Lanarkshire, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: Lab hold (result May 2007: 2 Lab, 1 SNP; after by election: 2 Lab, 1 SNP)

2007

  • 22 November: Lochee (4-member ward), Dundee, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: SNP hold (result May 2007: 2 SNP, 2 Lab; after by election: 2 SNP, 2 Lab)
  • 4 October: Helensburgh and Lomond South (3-member ward), Argyll and Bute, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: Lib Dem gain from Ind (result May 2007: 1 Con, 1 Ind, 1 Lib Dem; after by election: 2 Lib Dem, 1 Con)
  • 16 August: Midstocket/Rosemount (3-member ward), Aberdeen, 1 member elected by single transferable vote: SNP gain from Con (result May 2007: 1 Con, 1 SNP, 1 Lab; after by election: 2 SNP, 1 Lab)

2006

2005

Community councils

Other elections

Referendums

Church of Scotland

References

  1. ^ a b "Scottish Parliament Elections". BBC. 2007-04-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/scottish_parliment/html/scoreboard_99999.stm. Retrieved on 2006-11-01. 
  2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7057818.stm
  3. ^ http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Elections/electionsbill
  4. ^ Figures from the Electoral Commission's Scottish Parliamentary and local elections 2007 statutory report
  5. ^ Votes for parties are back-calculated from percentages and the total vote, so are subject to rounding error
  6. ^ 8 Scottish Green Party, 1 Scottish Socialist and 1 Solidarity councillor. Separate vote figures not found

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Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Elections in Scotland" Read more