Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The paranoid politics of West Central Scotland could destroy Labour for a generation. Unless they can show an ability to raise their game, and dignify Scotland rather than tarnish it, then the voters will assuredly turn against them eventually.' Iain MacWhirter in the Herald, 11 th April 2001.

Rutherglen & Hamilton West

Candidates

	Labour Co-op	Rt Hon Tommy McAvoy MP
	Scottish National Party	Margaret Park
	Conservative & Unionist	Peter Crerar
	Liberal Democrat	Ian Robertson
	Scottish Socialist Party	Bill Bonnar
	UK Independence Party	Janice Murdoch

Candidates

The Labour candidate is the Rt Hon Tommy McAvoy, who is currently MP for Glasgow Rutherglen. He was born in 1943 and educated at St Columbkille's School. He worked as an engeneering storeman and as a trades union shop steward. He was a member of Strahclyde Regional Council from 1982 until his election in 1987. When Gregor Mackenzie retired in 1987, McAvoy was selected as the candidate fror Glasgow Rutherglen, holding the seat with 48.4 % of the vote and a 9,126 majority over Liberal Robert Brown who became an MSP in 1999. After Labour's general election landslide in 1997, he was appointed Comptroller of Her Majesty's Household, a title for the third most senior govenment whip, a position which he still holds. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 2003.

The SNP candidate is Margaret Park. Margaret has been politically active since her teens. She has been a member of the SNP since the late 1980s and was an active union member for a number of years. Margaret is 41 years old and lives in South Lanarkshire with her husband Richard and two teenage children Stephen and Frances. Following a career within the voluntary sector with 10 years at senior management level Margaret is a Management Training Consultant and has her own business which was set up in the past year. She is a member of the Chartered Management Institute,. Margaret has previously stood at local elections. She is Vice Convener, Political Education Officer and Organiser of her local SNP branch and, in addition, is a delegate to the SNP's policy making national bodies. Her particular areas of interest are young people and how the lack of training and employment opportunities impacts on local communities and the levels of youth crime. Apart from children, husband, cat and politics Margaret is a keen traveller, is completing her HNC in Social Science and hoping to undertake her MBA later this year.

The Conservative candidate is Peter Crerar. He was born in Glasgow and educated at Hillhead High School and the Glasgow College of Building & Printing. He has worked in a Glasgow architectural practice. His interests include debating, local history, theatre, cinema, television drama and reading. He has previously stood as a candidate for Glasgow City Council elections.

Lib Dem candiate, Ian Robertson, was born in 1978 and studied Maths at Strathclyde university. He is single hand has worked as a trainee teacher. He is a former President of Strathclyde University Liberal Democrats and a former President of Strathclyde University Students' Association.

The SSP candidate is Bill Bonnar, who has lived in the constituency for most of the last 16 years. A socialist activist of 30 years, he has wide ranging experience in the trade union movement, single issue campaigns and community politics. A former aid worker in Sudan, he now works as Development Officer for a well-established housing association. He is a committed campaigner against the war on Iraq and actively opposes LabourŐs privatisation of our public services.

The UK Independence party candidate is Janice Murdoch. She is 43 lives in South Lanarkshire where she is employed in the Financial Services Industry.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	24,851	59.66 %		24,246	59.46 %
	Scottish National Party	6,347	15.24 %		6,039	14.81 %
	Liberal Democrat	4,860	11.67 %		5,011	12.29 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,579	8.59 %		3,455	8.47 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,919	4.61 %		1,924	4.72 %
	Others	101	0.24 %		103	0.25 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	18,504	44.42 %		18,207	44.65 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This consists of the 12 South Lanarkshire wards of the old Glasgow Rutherglen seat plus nine of the twelve wards from the old Hamilton South seat.