Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The public has no difficulty appreciating the value of a free press, as in Britain, compared with a neutered one, as in Iraq. It is a pity the British government cannot always do the same.' Herald editorial, 4 th April 2003.

Paisley & Renfrewshire North

Candidates

	Labour	James Sheridan MP
	Scottish National Party	Dr Bill Wilson
	Conservative & Unionist	Philip Lardner
	Liberal Democrat	Lewis Hutton
	Scottish Socialist Party	Angela McGregor
	UK Independence Party	John Pearson
	Socialist Labour Party	Katharine McGavigan

Candidates

The Labour candidate is James Sheridan, who is currently MP for West Renfrewshire. He was born in Glasgow in 1952 and educated at St Puis Secondary School ther. He worked at varous jobs including as a printer for the daily Express then at shipyards and at a packing company. He was also a TGWU official. Sheridan was a Renfrewshire Councillor from 1999, representing the Erskine Central ward which he won with 50?4 % of the vote. In 2001 he became Labour candidate for West Renfrewshire, in place of Tommy Graham who had been expelled from the party following the suicide of Paisley South MP Gordon McMaster in 1997. Sheridan won the seat with 46.93 % of the vote and a 8,575 majority over SNP Cllr Carol Putchukeary. Despite his campaiging, Sheridan was unable to save the Bishopton Royal Ordnance factory from closure. He voted in favour of the illegal war in Iraq.

The SNP candidate is Dr Bill Wilson. Formerly active in the Labour party, Bill joined the SNP in the late 1980s. He has previously stood as a candidate in Glasgow Anniesland and in Glasgow Maryhill. Bill was born in Paisley and educated at Glasgow, Aberdeen and Queen's Universities. He worked for ten years as an environmental scientist, and is presently employed in information technology. In this election Bill says Scotland needs independence more than ever. An independent parliament would: ' Take control of Scotland's natural resources. End poverty among Scotland pensioners. Bring our soldiers home from the Iraq war. At the 1997 Westminster election he contested Glasgow Anniesland against Labour's Donald Dewar, coming second with 17.11 %. At the 1999 Scottish parliamentary elections, he contested Glasgow Maryhill, coming second with 30.98 %. In September 2003 he challenged John Swinney MSP for the SNP leadership, polling 16.1 % compared to 83.9 % for Swinney.

The Tory candidate is Philip Lardner. He grew up in Inchinnan and was educated at Renfrew High School. Philip ran a small business in Linwood, before studying law at Glasgow University, and then becoming a primary school teacher in Erskine. He served in the Territorial Army for 5 years, and stood as a candidate at the last two local elections.

The Lib Dem candidate is Lewis Hutton who was born in 1972 and educated at Hyndland Secondary in Glasgow, Southhampton University and Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. He has worked as a freelance computer programmer and is currently employed by a publisher in Ayrshire. He is married and lives in Paisley. His interests include orienteering and running (Glasgow half marathon). He has contested Glasgow Shettleston twice, first at the 2001 Westminster election when he came fourth with 5.40 % and at the 2003 Scottish parliamentary election when he came fifth with 4.71 %.

The SSP candidate is Angela McGregor who is is 38 years old and works as a nursery nurse and lives in Renfrewshire. She believes that BlairÕs war in Iraq is an illegal war for oil, not democracy. Angela is campaigning for the reinstatement of rail, hospitals and schools back into the public sector. She also wants to see a living minimum wage of £8 an hour for all workers, regardless of age or gender.

The UK Independence Party candidate is John Pearson. Originally from Glasgow, he has lived in Langbank, Renfrewshire since 1982. he attended Woodside Secondary School for 6 years and also have an HNC in Mathematics and Statistics. He currently work as a Glasgow Taxi Driver but before this spent 26 years in senior management positions in the Retail / Wholesale Food Sector. He is single and in his spare time plays curling and bowls as well as the normal wining and dining with friends. He is also a qualified Private Pilot and a member of Glasgow Flying Club.

Katharine McGavigan is standing for the Socialist Labour Party. At the 1999 Scottish parliamentray elections she was third on the SLP's Central Scotland list and was also third on the SLP's national list for the 1999 European elections.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	21,933	51.25 %		21,085	51.25 %
	Scottish National Party	9,516	22.67 %		9,502	23.30 %
	Conservative & Unionist	5,769	13.74 %		5,533	13.57 %
	Liberal Democrat	3,169	7.55 %		3,275	8.03 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,371	3.27 %		1,175	2.88 %
	Others	221	0.53 %		214	0.52 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	12,417	29.58 %		11,583	28.40 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This consists of 12 of the 16 wards from the old Paisley North seat plus eight of the 15 wards from the old West Renfrewshire seat.