Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The party in most need of help is the Liberal Democrat Party. It is now suffering from a loss of identity through association with Labour. Liberal Democrats are being used by Labour, with remarkable ease, as the fall guys. Each of the other parties must be eyeing the Liberal Democrat vote greedily.' James Mitchell, Professor of politics at Sheffield University, in the Herald, 28 th June 2000.

North East Fife

Candidates

	Labour	Tony King
	Scottish National Party	Rod Campbell
	Conservative & Unionist	Cllr Mike Scott-Hayward
	Liberal Democrat	Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP
	Scottish Socialist Party	Jack Ferguson
	Scottish Green Party	James Park
	UK Independence Party	Dr Duncan Pickardk

Candidates

The Labour candidate is Tony King.

SNP candidate, Roderick Campbell was born in Edinburgh on 15 June 1953. He was educated at Reading School in Reading and gained his BA(Hons) in Politics from Exeter University. He has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management from Strathclyde University. He went on to qualify as a solicitor, in both England and Wales and Scotland and is currently a Partner with a multi-national partnership of lawyers based in London. He is a member of the Law Society of Scotland and the Law Society of England and Wales. Roderick is Honorary Legal Adviser to a Citizens Advice Bureau. Roderick joined the SNP in 1995, having been a supporter for many years and has campaigned for Roseanna Cunningham in four elections in Perth. He is the current Vice Convener of the Perth South Branch of the SNP.

The Tory candidate is Mike Scott-Hayward. He is Conservative Councillor for Elie, St Monans and Pittenweem, having won the ward in aby-election in 1999. Mike has worked as a Sole Proprietor since 1987 and a HM Coastguard Watch Keeper since 2001. Mike is married with three children. He contested Edinburgh Central in the 1997 General election, coming second with 21.2 % He contested Kirkcaldy at the 1999 and 2003 Scottish elections, coming third in 1999 with 10.3 % and fourth in 2003 with 10.6 %.

The Right Honourable Sir Menzies Campbell QC was born in 1941 and educated at Hillhead School and Glasgow and Stanford Universities. He is one of the few politicians who can be described as both popular and respected. Before his parliamentary career he was holder of the UK 100 metres record (10.2 seconds) for seven years. He has represented North East Fife since 1987 and became deputy leader of the UK Lib Dems in 2003. After the 1992 Westminster election, Menzies Campbell stated that he would stand for the Scottish Parliament, but changed his mind some time before 1999 and decided to remain at Westminster. He became a QC in 1982, was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1999, and was knighted in 2004.

The UK Independence Party candidate is Dr Duncan Pickard who was born and raised on a livestock farm in east Lancashire. He was educated at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School and Nottingham University. After graduating, he studied at Cornell University and at the Mayo Clinic in the USA, where he spent three years in post-doctoral research. He lectured in animal physiology and nutrition at the University of Leeds before moving with his family to Scotland in 1992. Dr. Pickard now farms in Fife in partnership with his wife and two of his sons. In addition to their own 600 acre holding, they currently farm an additional 500 acres under contract. His controversial book "Lie of the Land", published in May this year, questions past and present agricultural policies and suggests an alternative way forward.

The SSP candidate is Jack Ferguson aged 21, who grew up in North East Fife. He is a history student at St Andrews University and works as a part time carer for older people. He is campaigning for better youth facilities and more support for students. Jack opposes nuclear weapons in Scotland and the illegal war on Iraq. He believes the Lib Dems have yet to deliver any progress on key local needs like a new school for Newport and Tayport, or the delivery of rail services to Newburgh and St Andrews.

The Scottish Green Party candidate is James Park who is a former lecturer in Social Sciences at Fife College where he was also chairperson of the Educational Institute of Scotland and the elected staff representative on the board of management. He was a member of Kirkcaldy West Community Council and is currently employed as a supply teacher, and is an activist against GM crops.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Liberal Democrat	18,153	49.11 %		18,153	49.21 %
	Conservative & Unionist	8,467	22.90 %		8,480	22.99 %
	Labour	5,309	14.36 %		5,236	14.19 %
	Scottish National Party	3,945	10.67 %		3,943	10.69 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	673	1.82 %		660	1.79 %
	Others	420	1.14 %		420	1.14 %
Notional Liberal Democrat win	Notional Liberal Democrat majority	9,686	26.20 %		9,673	26.22 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This new constituency consists of the old North East Fife seat plus Leven east from the old Central Fife seat.