Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'During the election campaign one of the most important issues for the voters of Angus and Tayside was the ongoing threat to hospital services in Stracathro, Perth and Dundee. Annabelle Ewing (MP for Perth), Pete Wishart (MP for Tayside North) and I will be focusing on the particular impact of the £386m cut in health spending that will result from the Barnett squeeze.' Andrew Weir, SNP MP for Angus, 14 th June 2001.

Angus

Candidates

	Labour	Douglas Bradley
	Scottish National Party	Michael Weir MP
	Conservative & Unionist	Cllr Sandra Bushby
	Liberal Democrat	Rev Scott Rennie
	Scottish Socialist Party	Alan Manley

Candidates

The Labour candidae is Doug Bradley.

Mike Weir has been Member of Parliament for Angus since 2001 when he succeeded Andrew Welsh, who remains the MSP for Angus. Mike was born in Arbroath on 24th March 1957. He attended Arbroath High School and Aberdeen University, where he graduated with an LLB. Prior to his election Mike worked as a Solicitor in Brechin, where he still lives. He is married with two teenage children. Mike is Shadow Scottish Minister for Work and Pensions and SNP Westminster Spokesperson for Rural Affairs, Environment and Trade and Industry. Previously a councillor and Convenor of the General Purposes Committee of Angus Council, Mike Weir was a solicitor and Partner for J&DG Shiell in Brechin prior to his election in 2001. Mr Weir is also a member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. Since his election Mike has worked to widen access to elected representatives by opening new offices in Arbroath and Montrose.

Tory candidate, Sandy Bushby is currently a Conservative Councillor on the Perth and Kinross Council and was depute leader of the Council. She has extensive political and public service experience and has been a member of the Conservative Party since 1975. Sandy is married with three children.

The Lib Dem candidate is the Rev Scott Rennie who was born in 1972 and educated at Bankhead Academy in Aberdeen and Aberdeen University where he graduated with a MA(Hons) in Geography and a BD(Hons) in Practical Theology & New testament. He also attended the Union Theological Siminary in New York. He has been the minister of Brechin Cathedral since 1999 and is separated with one daughter. He joined the Lib Dems at 16 and is a former president of Aberdeen University Lib Dems and a former mmber of North Aberdeen LP executive. A member of Families Need Fathers, his interests incude playing and watching football, golf, reading and gardening.

The SSP candidate is Alan Manley who lives in Carnoustie with his partner Pamela and young family. Alan has worked in the NHS as a psychiatric nurse for 12 years. He is an active member and shop steward for the health workersÕ union, UNISON. Alan has campaigned against the use of private finance schemes in the NHS. Alongside public sector workers across the country, he is currently involved in a battle against New LabourÕs plans to attack pension rights for NHS workers.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Scottish National Party	11,595	33.16 %		12,281	34.01 %
	Conservative & Unionist	11,063	31.64 %		10,315	28.57 %
	Labour	6,386	18.26 %		7,465	20.67 %
	Liberal Democrat	5,157	14.75 %		5,192	14.38 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	663	1.90 %		752	2.09 %
	Others	102	0.29 %		104	0.29 %
Notional Scottish National Party win	Notional Scottish National Party majority	532	1.52 %		1,966	5.46 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This new constituency consists of 12 of the 20 wards from the old Angus constituency plus 10 of the 22 wards from the previous North Tayside constituency.