Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'As a member of the Westminster parliament, I am politically neutral.' David Mundell MP (Conservative &, Unionist, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale), 24 th November 2007.

Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale

Candidates

	David Mundell MP
	Conservative & Unionist
	A former BT executive and MSP, David Mundell scored the Conservatives' only success in Scotland in May 2005 when he won the newly created seat of Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale with a notional eight per cent swing from Labour. Born in Dumfries in 1962, son of an hotelier, he went to Lockerbie Academy, read law at Edinburgh University and took a master's degree in business administration at Strathclyde University Business School. He worked as a solicitor in private practice before joining BT as group legal adviser for Scotland in 1991, rising to become BT Scotland's head of national affairs. As a student, he was a councillor in Annandale and Eskdale for two years and on Dumfries and Galloway Council for another one until 1987. David contested the Dumfries constituency in the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999; he was elected from the South of Scotland regional list. He served on Scottish Parliamentary committees concerned with Europe, legislative scrutiny and enterprise and lifelong learning. He was re-elected as a list MSP in 2003 and became Conservative spokesman for telecommunications, transport and IT, and a member of the local government and transport committee. He was convenor of the cross-party group on textiles, clothing and footwear and also a member of the cross-party group on affordable housing. He brought in a private member's bill to separate local elections from Scottish Parliament elections. He stood down from the Holyrood Parliament on his election to Westminster, where he was appointed to the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs and also became vice-chairman of the All-Party Groups on Scotch Whisky and the West Coast Main Line. After David Cameron's election as leader he returned the post of Shadow Scottish Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet and appointed David to the position. He is well known as a community campaigner in his constituency. He has spoken out on regeneration of rural areas, road improvements, more affordable housing, and cuts in rural services such as schools and post offices and against large-scale wind farm developments. He lists business, commerce and rural affairs as his main policy interests, and has a particular interest in the USA. He writes a weekly column for the Lanark Gazette and a monthly column for Dumfriesshire Newspapers and the Peeblesshire News. He lives in Moffat in Dumfriesshire with his wife Lynda and three children. Party positions Shadow Secretry of State for Scotland - 2005 - July 2007 - February 2008 - Interim Chariman of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster Parliament election, Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale, 16,141 votes (36.18 %) (elected) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Dumfries, 11,738 votes (36.56 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Fourth on Tory South of Scotland list, 63,827 votes (24.24 %) (elected as fifth of seven MSPs) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Dumfries, 10,447 votes (27.15 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Fourth on Tory South of Scotland list, 68,904 votes (21.64 %) (elected as seventh of seven MSPs)
	Who?
	Labour
	Ministerial Posts: Recent electoral experience
	Who?
	Liberal Democrat
	Recent electoral experience
	Who?
	Scottish National Party
	Recent electoral experience

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	16,068	37.42 %		16,741	37.02 %
	Conservative & Unionist	10,184	23.71 %		12,282	27.38 %
	Liberal Democrat	9,508	22.15 %		9,068	20.05 %
	Scottish National Party	6,240	14.53 %		6,194	13.70 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	765	1.78 %		733	1.63 %
	Others	170	0.40 %		98	0.22 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	5,254	12.24 %		4,359	9.64 %