Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'I actually believe that Tam would prefer to be burnt on the marketplace in Edinburgh rather than see Scottish devolution pass into British law.' Roy Hattersley, in Parcel of Rogues, Channel 4 April 1998.

Linlithgow & East Falkirk

Candidates

	Michael Connarty MP
	Labour/Co-op
	Michael Connarty was born in Coatbridge in 1947 and educated at St Bartholomew's & St Patrick's High in Coatbridge, Stirling and Glasgow Universities and Jordanhill teacher training college. He worked as a teacher until his election as an in 1992. From 1974 until 1990 he was a Stirling District Councillor, and between 1980 and 1990 he was Labour leader of the Council. In 1983, he stood in Stirling coming second to Michael Forsyth with 27.9 % of the vote. He stood again in 1987, again coming second, this time with 36.2 % and reducing Forsyth's majority to 948. In 1992, he became MP for Falkirk East, following the retiral of Harry Ewing. Connarty took 46.1 % and had a 7,969 majority over the SNP's Ron Halliday, down from 14,023 over the Tories for Ewing in 1987. By 1997, Connarty was polling 56.12 % and had a more healthy 13,385 majority over the SNP's Keith Brown. In 2001 he took 55.00 % of the vote and obtained a 10,712 majority over the SNP's Isabel Hutton. Connarty applied to become a candidate for the Scottish parliament but after a leak to the press, withdrew before he could be told, like fellow Labour MPs Dennis Canavan and Ian Davidson, that he was 'not good enough'. Ministerial Posts: None Council Positions: 1980 - 1990 - Leader of Stirling District Council Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Linlithgow & East Falkirk, 22,121 votes (47.69 %) (elected) 2001 Westminster election, Falkirk East, 18,536 votes (55.00 %) (elected) 1997 Westminster election, Falkirk East, 23,344 votes (56.12 %) (elected) 1992 Westminster election, Falkirk East, 18,423 votes (46.14 %) (elected) 1988 Stirling District Council election, (elected) 1984 Stirling District Council election, (elected) 1980 Stirling District Council election, (elected) 1977 Stirling County Council election, (elected) 1974 Stirling County Council election, (elected)
	Tam Smith
	Scottish National Party
	Thomas Houston Russell Smith (better known as Tam Smith) was born in Maddiston on the 12 February, 1942 and educated at Maddiston Primary School, and Falkirk Technical School (Now Graeme High).ĘTam worked at the Co-op in Whitecross before marrying Wilma, a "black bitch", in 1961 and moved to Linlithgow. He is a Scottish National Party politician, community activist, and Linlithgow based businessman. A leading member of the Linlithgow SNP since the early 1970s Tam Smith was also part of the 79 group within the SNP along with fellow Linlithgow members Alex Salmond, Kenny MacAskill, and Stewart Stevenson. Tam Smith was elected to West Lothian Council at a by-election for the St. Ninians Ward in Linlithgow in 1997 following the death of Jimmy McGinley. Following minor boundary changes Tam was subsequently re-elected for the St. Michael's Ward in Linlithgow in 1999 and 2003 with increased majorities. Tam has 6 grandchildren in Linlithgow and continues to strive for better facilities for the youth of the town whilst at the same time helping and attending to the needs of our pensioners. Tam Smith takes a keen interest in home safety and was a member of the Scottish Accident Prevention Council home safety committee 1999 - 2007 where he championed issues pertaining to young children, and was instrumental in pressing Parliament to introduce building regulations for Thermostatic Mixing Valves. Tam Smith was the convenor of the West Lothian Stop the War Co-allition, and took an active part campaigning against the Labour Government's militaristic foreign policy in Iraq. Alec Salmond MP says: "He has always put the interests of the local community first." Recent electoral experience 2003 West Lothian Council election, St Michael's, 890 votes (42.67 %) (elected) 1999 West Lothian Council election, St Michael's, 1,125 votes (46.80 %) (elected) 1997 West Lothian Council by-election, St Ninian's, 1,403 votes (56.80 %) (elected)
	Andrea Stephenson
	Conservative & Unionist
	Recent electoral experience.
	Who?
	Liberal Democrat
	Recent electoral experience

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	23,104	51.83 %		23,126	52.85 %
	Scottish National Party	11,308	25.37 %		11,334	25.90 %
	Liberal Democrat	4,505	10.11 %		3,984	9.11 %
	Conservative & Unionist	4,362	9.79 %		3,920	8.96 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	920	2.06 %		1,044	2.31 %
	Others	379	0.85 %		382	0.87 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	11,769	26.40 %		11,792	26.95 %