Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The Chancellor may have been born Scottish but he is desperate to become an Englishman.' Alex Salmond, June 2006.

East Kilbride (Central Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Dave Clark (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Recent electoral experience
	Linda Fabiani MSP (Also number 3 on Central Scotland list)
	Scottish National Party
	Linda Fabiani was born on the 14 th December 1956 in Glasgow and educated at Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow, Napier College in Edinburghwhere she obtained a SHND Sec Studies and Glasgow University where she obtained a Diploma in Housing Studies. From1975 until 1982 she did Secretarial work and then worked in Administration for Yoker Housing Association in Glasgow from 1982 to 1985. From 1985 to 1988 she was an Administration and Housing Officer with Clydebank Housing Association and from 1988 to 1994 a Development Manager with Bute Housing Association in Rothesay. From 1994 until her election in 1999 she was the Director of East Kilbride Housing Association Limited. She lives with her partner and is a member of the TGWU and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing of Scotland. Linda joined the Scottish National Party around 1990 whilst living in Argyll & Bute. Naturally, due to her career she is particularly interested in Housing and Social Policy, and having lived and worked in both urban and rural areas, has a keen interest in issues of Land Reform and Use. Linda's paternal grandfather settled in Scotland after the 1st World War. He travelled to Glasgow amongst the first wave of Italian immigrants, from his home in La Spezia, Northern Italy. Along with her surname, Linda has inherited from her grandfather a love of opera, particularly the tenor voice, and of good food and wine. The Scottish/Irish influences in her background explain her love of company and conversation, traditional music and dance. When not politicking Linda can be spotted at one of the many folk festivals or events around Scotland. In the parliament she is Convener of the European and External Relations Committee, Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Refugees and Asylum Seekers, Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Sexual Health and Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party International Development Group. Shadow Ministerial Posts: May 1999 - September 2000 -Transport & the Environment September 2000 - April 2003 - Shadow Deputy Minister for Social Justice May 2003 - September 2004 Deputy Business Manager & Whip September 2004 - September 2005 - Shadow Deputy Minister for Housing & Voluntary Sector September 2005 - Shadow Deputy Minister for Communities Parliamentary Posts: Member of the Conveners Group Substitute Member of the Parliamentary Bureau Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, East Kilbride, 8,544 votes (25.07 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Third on SNP Central Scotland list, 59,274 votes (22.53 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, East Kilbride, 13,488 votes (32.65 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Fifth on SNP Central list, 91,802 votes (27.78 %) (elected)
	Andy Kerr MSP (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Labour
	Andy Kerr was born in East Kilbride on the 17 th March 1962 and was educated at Murray Primary, Claremont High School and Glasgow College, now Caledonian University whre he graduated with a BA in Social Sciences. From 198 until 1987 he was a full time officer in the National Union of Students, from 1987 to 1990 he was a Research and Development Officer in Strathkelvin District Council, from 1990 to 1993 Managing Director Achieving Quality (Consultancy), and from 1993 until his election in 1999 Strategy and Development Manager for Land Services in Glasgow City Council. During his time on the Council he was responsible for the development of strategy, business planning, performance management and best value. He successfully managed the introduction of the quality standard ISO 9000 and took forward the implementation of the environmental standard ISO 14001 in the Land Services Department. He was active in the Association of Public Service Excellence and was the Managing Director of "Achieving Quality" a consultancy aimed at promoting quality assurance in the public sector. On entering the Parliament, he was appointed as the Convenor of the Transport and Environment Committee, prior to becoming the Minister for Finance and Public Services from November 2001 to October 2004. Andy is now the Minister for Health and Community Care. Andy now lives in Strathaven with his wife and three daughters. His spare time is mostly spent with the kids, but he also enjoys running, football and tennis. As a patron of the Kilbryde Hospice campaign he has put his running to good use through sponsorship of 10km runs and half-marathons. He is a member of Unison (formerly NUPE). Ministerial positions November 2001 - April 2003 Minister for Finance & Public Services May 2003 - October 2004 - Minister for Finance October 2004 - Minister for Health & Community Care Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, East Kilbride, 13,825 votes (40.56 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish parliament election, East Kilbride, 19,987 votes (48.38 %) (elected)
	Graham Simpson (Also number 2 on Central Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Graham Simpson is 42 years old and was born in Aberdeen. He moved about a lot as a child an eventually settled in Carlisle where he went to secondary school. He left school and went straight onto the dole before becoming a journalist, a job which he has done ever since. The family moved to East Kilbride in 1986 and he lives in Stewartfield with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time he enjoys hill walking and golf. Recent electoral experience.

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 18 (31 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 7.75 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Conservative hit list: 40 (50 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 14.93 % from Labour to Conservative

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 31 (44 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 17.08 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 67,229 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow: 67,229 (100.0 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 65,472. Turnout 34,087, 52.06 % (- 10.73 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Andy Kerr MSP	13,825	40.56 %	- 7.59 %
	Scottish National Party	Linda Fabiani MSP	8,544	25.07 %	- 7.42 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Grace Campbell	3,785	11.10 %	- 0.14 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Carolyn Leckie	2,736	8.03 %	(+ 8.03 %)
	Independent	Colin McCartney	2,597	7.62 %	(+ 7.62 %)
	Liberal Democrat	Alex McKie	2,181	6.40 %	- 1.73 %
	Independent	John Houston	419	1.23 %	(+ 1.23 %)
	Labour hold	Labour majority	5,281	15.49 %	- 0.17 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 65,472. Turnout 34,078, 52.05 % 205 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	11,859	34.80 %	- 4.36 %
	Scottish National Party	7,565	22.20 %	- 6.15 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	3,631	10.65 %	- 0.21 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	3,119	9.15 %	+ 6.74 %
	Liberal Democrats	2,570	7.54 %	- 0.61 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	2,398	7.04 %	(+ 7.04 %)
	Scottish Green Party	2,142	6.29 %	+ 3.46 %
	Socialist Labour Party	300	0.88 %	- 1.98 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	145	0.43 %	- 0.25 %
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	99	0.29 %	(+ 0.29 %)
	UK Independence Party	127	0.37 %	(+ 0.37 %)
	Mary Anderson (Independent)	123	0.36 %
	Labour majority	4,294	12.60 %	+ 1.79 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Andy Kerr	19,987	48.38 %	- 8.15 %
	Scottish National Party	Linda Fabiani	13,488	32.65 %	+ 11.75 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Craig Stevenson	4,465	10.81 %	- 1.21 %
	Liberal Democrat	Ewan Hawthorn	3,373	8.16 %	+ 0.93 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	6,499	15.73 %	- 19.90 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	16,248	39.16 %
	Scottish National Party	11,762	28.35 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	4,504	10.86 %
	Liberal Democrats	3,383	8.15 %
	Socialist Labour Party	1,186	2.86 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,174	2.83 %
	Member of Parliament for Falkirk West	1,094	2.64 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,001	2.41 %
	ProLife Alliance	552	1.33 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	282	0.68 %
	Natural Law Party	104	0.25 %
	Others: Scottish Families & Pensioners Party Independent Progressive (Breakdown not available)	201	0.48 %
	Labour majority	4,486	10.81 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Adam Ingram MP	27,584	56.53 %
	Scottish National Party	George Gebbie	10,200	20.90 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Clifford Herbertson	5,863	12.02 %
	Liberal Democrat	Kate Philbrick	3,527	7.23 %
	Pro Life Alliance	John Deigham	1,170	2.40 %
	Referendum	Julie Gray	306	0.63 %
	Natural Law	Ewan Gilmour	146	0.30 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	17,384	35.63 %

Links

• Politics in East Kilbride
  
  
• Linda Fabiani MSP (Scottish National Party)
  
  
• Linda Fabiani's Blog
  
  
• East Kilbride Tories