Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Ross felt it wrong to appease the Nationalists and had a visceral hatred of the SNP.' Comment on Willie Ross, Labour Secretary of State for Scotland in Parcel of Rogues, Chanel 4 April 1998.

Kilmarnock & Loudoun

Candidates

	Labour	Des Browne MP
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Daniel Coffey
	Conservative & Unionist	Gary Smith
	Liberal Democrat	Kevin Lang
	Scottish Socialist Party	Hugh Kerr
	UK Independence Party	Ronnie Robertson

Candidates

The Labour candidate is Des Browne MP, who is currently MP for the old constituency of the same name. He was born in Stevenson in 1952 and educated at St Michael's Academy in Kilwinning and Glasgow University. He worked as a solicitor and then as an advocate, representing the Scottish Labour Party. In 1992, he contested Argyll & Bute, coming fourth with 13.6 %. Following the retiral of Willie McKelvie, he was selected for the new seat of Kilmarnock & Loudoun. He held the seat for Labour with 49.8 % of the vote and a 7,256 majority over the SNP's Alex Neil. In 2001, he held the seat with 52.9 % of the vote and a 10,334 majority over the SNP's John Brady. In 2001, Browne was made a Parliamentary Under Sesretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office and in 2003, he was promted to Minister of State at the Department of Work & Pensions.

The SNP candidate is Cllr Daniel Coffey. Danny joined the SNP in 1972. A founder member of Kilmarnock North Branch he has been consistently active locally and nationally. At present Danny is Convener of Kilmarnock North Branch and East Ayrshire Council Liaison Committee and Vice-Convener, Kilmarnock & Loudoun Constituency Association. He has served as an Elected Member of the SNP's National Council and National Executive Committee and has been Depute Party Spokesman for Local Government and Depute Party Spokesman for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Ayrshire's longest serving Nationalist Councillor (19 consecutive years), Danny has served Kilmarnock and Loudoun well on Strathclyde Regional Council, Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council ( where he served as Provost from 1992 to 1996) and on East Ayrshire Council since 1995. Danny represented the SNP on the European Committee of the Regions from 1994-1998, in which he served as Bureau Member and Treasurer of the European Alliance Group. A lifelong supporter of Kilmarnock Football Club Danny is Treasurer of Kilmarnock FC Supporters Association and Kilmarnock FC Supporters Travel Club. He is a Member of Kilmarnock No 0 Burns Club and Honorary President of Kilmarnock Amateur Operatic Society; Patron of Kilmarnock Concert Brass and is a former Marathon runner.

The Conservative candidate is Gary Smith. Gary holds a BA (Hons) degree and Advanced Diploma in Educational Management. He has held employment at the Cabinet Office in addition to air traffic control and a major airline. He has established a charitable trust, provided training and consultancy to business and held the post of Company Secretary. Gary has also represented Scottish business on overseas trade missions. Educational employment has taken him across the globe to international schools and Community, Further and Primary education in Scotland, including promoted posts. A keen pilot, he has flown in North America, the Middle East and Europe. Other hobbies include classical music, ski-ing and photography. He has also sailed, canoed and been involved in motor sport. A member of Kyle and Carrick Civic Society, Gary also supports the Woodland Trust and the RAF Benevolent Fund. Gary has stood for local government in East Ayrshire, in Mauchline (1999) and Cumnock (2003).

The Lib Dem candidate is Kevin Lang who was born in 1979 and educated at the Royal High School in Edinburgh and Edinburgh university. He has worked as parliamentary assistant to Margaret Smith MSP, as a constituency organiser for Edinburgh West and is currently parliamentray assistant to John Barrett MP. He is engaged and lives in Edinburgh. His interests include international development, film and theatre, keep-fit, international trave, sport and computing. He was a City of edinburgh council candidate in 2003. He also stood for Airdrie & Shotts at the 2003 Scottish parliamantary election, coming fifth with 5.37 %.

The SSP candidate is Hugh Kerr whowas born and brought up in Kilmarnock. He moved to England in search of work and was a factory worker and lumberjack before becoming a university lecturer. A lifelong trade unionist, Hugh was a Labour councillor and in 1994 became a Labour MEP. He was expelled by Labour in 1998 for his opposition to Labour's cuts in benefits and student grants. He then returned to Scotland to help found the Scottish Socialist Party.

The UK Independence Party candidate is Ronnie Robertson.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	24,532	54.94 %		24,313	54.32 %
	Scottish National Party	10,911	24.44 %		10,920	24.40 %
	Conservative & Unionist	4,485	10.05 %		4,547	10.16 %
	Liberal Democrat	3,394	7.60 %		3,682	8.23 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,247	2.79 %		1,227	2.74 %
	Others	76	0.17 %		63	0.14 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	13,621	30.58 %		13,393	29.93 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This new constituency consists of the whole of the old Kilmarnock & Loudoun seat with the addition of four wards from the old Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley seat.