 | 'The SNP, Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats are all contesting the seat which had been held by the late Margaret Ewing who died last month. She had served Moray as Nationalist MP and latterly MSP for almost 20 years, having been first elected by constituents in 1987. In 1999 she stood for the Scottish Parliament and took the seat with a majority of 4,129.' Northern Scot, 10 th April 2006. |  |
THE four candidates in the Moray by-election came off their starting blocking this week with the launch of their campaigns.
With less than three weeks until voters head to the polls, the parties have been quick to push their Holyrood hopefuls into the spotlight, knock on doors and post election leaflets through the letterboxes.
The SNP, Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats are all contesting the seat which had been held by the late Margaret Ewing who died last month.
She had served Moray as Nationalist MP and latterly MSP for almost 20 years, having been first elected by constituents in 1987.
In 1999 she stood for the Scottish Parliament and took the seat with a majority of 4,129.
She won again in 2003, increasing her majority by over 1,000 votes to leave the Conservatives in second, Labour third and the Liberal Democrats in fourth place.
Fighting to retain the seat for the SNP is list MSP Richard Lochhead.
He and fellow list MSP Mary Scanlon, who is the Conservative candidate, have both had to resign their seats as they contest the by-election.
They have been joined in the fight by two Moray councillors, Labour's Sandy Keith who is standing for the Scottish Parliament for the first time and Linda Gorn, who has been the Liberal Democrat candidate for both Westminster and Holyrood in the past.
The Scottish Socialist Party, which contested the Moray seat in 2003, is not fielding a candidate.
Mr Lochhead (36), is married with a young son.
He has represented Northeast Scotland in the Scottish Parliament since 1999. The family currently live in Aberdeenshire but have recently bought a home in Elgin.
Prior to his election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, he was employed as a local government development officer and was also office manager for Alex Salmond MP.
He has been the party's spokesman on fishing, the environment and rural affairs.
Mary Scanlon (58), was a lecturer in further and higher education for 16 years.
She lectured in economics and management at Perth College and then at Dundee Institute of Technology before moving to Inverness College to lecture in economics and business administration.
She became an MSP in 1999 when she was elected as a Conservative list member for the Highlands and Islands.
She was re-elected in 2003 and became the party's spokesman on communities, with responsibility for planning, housing, charities, social justice, and the voluntary sector.
Father-of-two Sandy Keith (39), who lives in Elgin, has served on Moray Council for the past 10 years and is the leader of the Labour group. He was formerly chairman of the council's educational services committee.
A former careers advisor who currently works in a local supermarket, he has been a party member for 22 years and is an honorary life member of Moray Trades Council.
Mrs Gorn (57), lives in Keith and is married with two sons. She was the Liberal Democrat candidate in Westminster and Scottish Parliament elections for Moray in 2001, 2003 and 2005, where she increased the Lib Dem vote each time.
She has represented Keith on Moray Council for seven years and runs her own small business.
Voting in the by-election will take place on Thursday, April 27, between 7am and 10pm, with the count taking place at Elgin Town Hall.
Residents have until April 19 to register for a postal vote.
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