Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'We cannot base our military strategy on the assumption that Saddam is weak and at the same time justify pre-emptive action on the claim that he is a threat. Iraq probably has no weapons of mass destruction in the commonly understood sense of the term - namely a credible device capable of being delivered against a strategic city target. It probably still has biological toxins and battlefield chemical munitions, but it has had them since the 1980s when US companies sold Saddam anthrax agents and the then British Government approved chemical and munitions factories.' Robin Cook's resignation speech, 17 th March 2003

Livingston

Candidates

	Labour	The Rt Hon Robin Cook MP
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Angela Constance
	Conservative & Unionist	Alison Ross
	Liberal Democrat	Charles Dundas
	Scottish Socialist Party	Steven Nimmo

Candidates

The Labour candidate is Robin Cook, currenly the MP for the old Livingston constituency. He was born in 1946 in Bellshill and educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, the Royal High School in Edinburgh and Edinburgh University. He worked as a teacher and a tutor and was a member of Edinburgh Corporation, representing Holyrood, from 1971 until 1974. At the 1970 Westminster election, he contested Edinburgh North, coming second with 37.1 % to the Tory Earl of Dalkeith, later the 9 th Duke of Buccleuch. At the February 1974 election, he held the new Edinburgh Central seat for abour with 37.8 % of th vote and a majority of 961 over Tory Peter Jones, in creasing his majority to 3,953 in the October election, and 4,661. However the 1983 boundary changes were unfavourable, and Cook wisely left Edinbugh Central, which was won by Tory Sir Alex Fletcher, for the new seat of Livingston which he won with with 37.7 % of the vote, increasing that to 45.6 % in 1987. When Labour returned to government in 1997, Cook was appointed Foreign Secretary. After a messy separation and a new marriage to his secretary, Cook was transferred to the post of Leader of the House of Commons after the 2001 election. Following the failure to obtain Unite Nations backing for what most considered to be an illegal invasion of Iraq, Cook resigned from the govenment on 17 th March 2001 and gave a noteworthy speech from the backbenches which totally destroying the credibility of Blair and the case for invading Iraq without the backing of the UN. In the run up to the setting up of the Scottish parliament, Cook had been tipped as a potential First Minister of Scotland, but he preferred to remain at Westminster. Some believe that Cook is wasted on the backbenches at Westminster and that he should stand for election at the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2007.

The SNP candidate is Cllr Angela Constance. Angela is a local Livingston Councillor having been re-elected for the third time in 2003 with an increased majority. She is the SNP Group Spokesperson for children services and lifelong learning. Angela was born in Blackburn and raised in Addiewell and West Calder. She attended local schools and completed her education at the Universities of Glasgow and Stirling. Angela is 34 years old and is currently employed as a Social Worker & Mental Health Officer. She continues to reside in West Lothian with her husband. She completed the Edinburgh marathon this year raising money for a children's charity and is hoping to do so again in 2005."

The Tory candidate is Alison Ross.

The Lib Dem candidate is Charles Dundas who was born in 1978 and educated at Whitburn Academy and the University of Glasgow. He worked as an accountant and is currently parliamentary assistant to Iain Smith MSP. He is married and lives in Edinburgh. His interests include genealogy, local history, debating, cinema, literature and computers. He as contested council elections and by-elections in 1999, 2002 and 2003. At the 2001 Westminster election, he contested Glasgow Ballieston, coming fifth with 6.67 %, while at the 2003 Scottish parliamentray election, he contested Glasgow Springburn, coming fifth with 4.14 %.

The SSP candidate is Steven Nimmo who lives in Bridgend with his partner and her son, and is currently the chair of Bridgend Food Co-op. He previously worked in the laundry at St JohnÕs hospital where he was a shop steward, then in 2003 was elected SSP Lothians Regional Organiser. Steven has fought against the closures of local factories such as Motorola and Continental and has been active in campaigns to support striking nursery nurses, against the Council Tax and against hospital cuts.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	23,622	55.22 %		23,599	55.27 %
	Scottish National Party	9,984	23.34 %		9,851	23.07 %
	Liberal Democrat	4,224	9.87 %		4,335	10.15 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,257	7.61 %		3,259	7.63 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,292	3.02 %		1,252	2.93 %
	Others	401	0.94 %		404	0.95 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	13,638	31.88 %		13,748	32.20 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This new constituency consists of the old Livingston seat plus two wards from the old Linlithgow seat.