Election Campaigns

'I think a 55% turnout in a British General Election speaks volumes about the low respect that politicians are now held.' Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for Linlithgow and Father of the House of Commons, 8 th June 2001.

Party Leaders and Leadership Campaigns

The Scottish National Party

Party leaders

1934 - 1936	Sir Alexander MacEwan
1936 - 1942	William Power
1940 - 1940	Professor Andrew Dewar Gibb
1940 - 1942	William Power
1942 - 1945	Douglas Young (defeated William Power by 33 votes to 29)
1945 - 1957	Bruce Watson
1947 - 1956	Dr Robert D. McIntyre
1956 - 1960	James Halliday
1960 - May 1969	Arthur Donaldson
May 1969 - 1979	William Wolfe
1979 - September 1990	Dr Gordon Wilson MP
September 1990 - September 2000	Alex Salmond MP, MSP
September 2000 - September 2004	John Swinney MP, MSP
September 2004 -	Alex Salmond MP

SNP Group Leaders at Westminster

1974 - 1987	Rt Hon Donald Stewart MP
1987 - 2001	Margaret Ewing MSP MP
2001 - 2007	Alex Salmond MSP MP
2007 -	Angus Robertson MP

Election details

• 22 nd September 1990, Leadership Election
  Alex Salmond MP, 486 votes (72.3 %)
  Margaret Ewing MP, 186 votes (27.7 %)
  
  
• 23 rd September 2000, Leadership Contest
  John Swinney MP, MSP, 547 votes (67.6 %)
  Alex Neil MSP, 262 votes (32.4 %)
  
  
• 27 th September 2003, Leadership Challenge
  John Swinney MSP, 577 votes (83.9 %)
  Dr William Wilson, 111 votes (16.1 %)
  
  
• 3 rd September 2004, Leadership Election
  Alex Salmond MP, 4,952 votes (75.8 %)
  Roseanna Cunningham MSP, 953 votes (14.6 %)
  Michael Russell, 631 votes (9.7 %)
  
  

The Scottish Labour Party

The list below notes the leaders of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament. Donald Dewar, Henry McLeish and Jack McConnell were also First Ministers of Scotland.

1997 - 11 th October 2000 Rt Hon Donald Dewar MP MSP (elected unopposed)
21 st October 2000 - 8 th November 2001 Rt Hon Henry McLeish MP MSP (beat Jack McConnell MSP)
17 th November 2001- 15 th August 2007 Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP (elected unopposed)
15 th September 2007 - 28 th June 2008 Wendy Alexander MSP (elected unopposed)


• Labour Leadership Contest 2000

The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party

- 1999 Sir Michael Hirst
1999 - 31 st October 2005 David McLetchie MSP (who beat Phil Gallie)
8 th November 2005 - Annabel Goldie MSP (elected unopposed)


The Scottish Liberal Party/ Liberal Democrats

1974 - 1990 (Sir) Russell Johnston MP, later Lord Russell-Johnston of Minginish.
1990 - 1992 Malcolm Bruce MP
1992 - June 2005 James Wallace QC MP, MSP
June 2005 - Nicol Stephen MSP.


• 23 rd June 2005, Leadership contest
  Nicol Stephen MSP, 2,108 votes (76.6 %)
  Mike Rumbles MSP 642 (23.4 %)
  
  

The Scottish Socialist Party

1999 - November 2004 Tommy Sheridan MSP
February 2005 - Colin Fox MSP

The Scottish Green Party

1999 - October 2004 Robin Harper MSP.
October 2004 - Robin Harper MSP & Shiona Baird MSP are co-convernors of the Scottish Green Party Council. Shiona Baird is registered with the Electoral Commission as the party leader. (Thanks to Christian Schmidt).

Solidarity, Scotland's Socialist Movement

September 2005 - Tommy Sheridan MSP & Rosemary Byrne MSP (Co-Convenors)
3 rd November 2006. Solidarity conference endorses this appointment.

---

Return to home page