Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'I have no doubt that the running saga of alleged Labour local government corruption in Dundee has done much to swell the SNP vote throughout Scotland.' Tam Dalyell in Devolution, the end of Britain?

Dundee West

Candidates

	Labour	James McGovern
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Joe FitzPatrick
	Conservative & Unionist	Christopher McKinlay
	Liberal Democrat	Nykoma Garry
	Scottish Socialist Party	Jim McFarlane

Candidates

The Labour candidate is James McGovern, who bas born locally and is a GMB official.

The Scottish National Party candidate is Cllr Joe FitzPatrick. oe is 37 years old. He was born and brought up in Dundee and was educated at Whitfield High School. He left Dundee to work for the Forestry Commission in Angus and studied Forestry at Inverness College. He was elected President of the Students Union there and went on to be elected NUS Convener for the North of Scotland Area, which stretches from Dundee to Shetland. Returning to Dundee Joe continued his education at Abertay University and graduated with a first class honours Degree. Joe works as an assistant to Shona Robison MSP in her Dundee Constituency Office. In 1995 he contested the Pitalpin ward of Dundee City Council, taking 25.54 % of the vote in a contest with Labour. He was first elected to Dundee City Council in 1999 when he overturned a large Labour majority in Longhaugh winning 49.55 % of the vote and a majority of 126 over Labour. He increased this in 2003 to 53.76 % of the vote and a majority of 202. A well respected, hardworking local councillor, Joe is the SNP group Whip and Finance Spokesperson for the SNP on Dundee Council.

The Conservative candidate is Christopher McKinlay. He was educated at Dundee High School and the University of Dundee, studying American Studies with Politics and Early American History. In 2003 local elections Christopher stood for the Camperdown ward of Dundee City council, coming fifth with 3.25 %.

Lib Dem candidate, Nykoma Garry, was educated at Dundee University where she studied history, and also has an HND. She has a son and works as a trainee nurse. A member of the Royal College of Nursing, her interests include rugby - which she used to play - reading and music.

The SSP candidate is Jim McFarlane who is 37 years old and has lived in Dundee all that time. He is an admin worker in local govt. He has been an active trade unionist for a number of years and is currently Chair of Dundee City UNISON Branch. He has provided active solidarity to trade unionists including firefighters, civil servants and Nursery Nurses in recent years. He has been very vocal in defence of public sector workers pension rights that are under attack from New Labour. He has also been outspoken about the war and occupation of Iraq. He contested Dundee West at the 1999 and 2003 Scotish parliamentary elections, coming sixth with 2.67 % and fifth with 6.00 % respectively. He also contested Dundee West at the 2001 Westminster election, coming fifth with 4.08 %.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	18,761	50.29 %		18,461	49.19 %
	Scottish National Party	10,351	27.75 %		10,683	28.46 %
	Liberal Democrat	3,435	9.21 %		3,423	9.14 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,320	8.90 %		3,430	9.20 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,439	3.86 %		1,534	4.09 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	8,410	22.54 %		7,778	20.72 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This seat consists of the old Dundee West constituency, including two wards that were shared with Dundee East, plus two wards from the old Dundee East constituency and one ward from the old Angus constituency.