Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'A good result for the SNP would have at least one benefit: sending a clear message to the UK government that its Prime Minister has become an electoral liability. It would also open up Holyrood to an array of interesting coalition options, such as with the Greens and LibDems.' Sunday Herald editorial, 18 th June 2006.

Hamilton North & Bellshill (Central Scotland Region)

Candidates

	James Callander (Also number 8 on Central Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	James Callander is 27 and works for the consultancy company FreshMinds where one of his roles is head of innovation. James started his first business in Midlothian at the age of 17 and is keen that a strong enterprise culture should be supported in Scotland. He has also been on an aid mission to Bosnia working for Scottish European Aid and raised £40,000 for the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh whilst at university there. Recent electoral experience.
	Joseph Gorman (Also number 3 on Central Scotland list)
	NHSFirst Party
	Recent electoral experience
	Douglas Herbison (Also number 5 on Central Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Veteran Lib Dem candidate Douglas Herbison was born in 1951 and studied economics at the University of London. He is married with one daughter and lives in Glasgow. Mr Herbison's political career can be used to trace the ebb and flow of Liberal and Lib Dem fortunes. He is the current Scottish party treasurer having been a Liberal councillor in Motherwell from 1973 until 1979. He has also stood for Westminster: at Cumbernauld & Kilsyth in 1983, coming second with 19.8 %; and for Cunninghame North in 1987 coming third with 12.1 %, and in 1992, when he fell to fourth place with 6.7 %. In 2001 he contested Banff & Buchan, coming fourth with 9.0 %. In 2003, he contested Glasgow Kelvin in the Scottish parliamentary election, coming third with 15.1 %, and was fourth on the Glasgow list. He also contested Strathclyde West in the 1984, 1989 and 1994 European elections, coming fourth with 15.1 %, fifth with 3.9 %, and fourth with 7.5 % respectively, while in 2004 he was fifth on the Lib Dem European list. Recent electoral experience As a Lib Dem candidate 2005 Westminster election, Inverclyde, 6,123 votes (16.96 %) 2004 European election, Fifth on Lib Dem national list, 154,178 votes (13.10 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow Kelvin, 3,334 votes (15.10 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, fourth on Lib Dem Glasgow list, 14,839 votes (7.64 %) 2001 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 2,769 votes (8.99 %) 1994 European election, Strathclyde West, 14,772 votes (7.54 %) 1992 Westminster election, Cunninghame North, 2,864 votes (6.68 %) As a Democrat candidate 1989 European election, Strathclyde West, 8,098 votes (3.85 %) As a Social Democratic Party candidate 1987 Westminster election, Cunninghame North, 5,185 votes (12.08 %) 1984 European election, Strathclyde West, 25,955 votes (15.07 %) 1983 Westminster election, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth, 6,701 votes (19.83 %) As a Liberal candidate 1977 Motherwell District Council election, (elected) 1974 Motherwell District Council election, (elected) 1973 Motherwell Council election, (elected)
	Alex Neil MSP (Also number 1 on Central Scotland list)
	Scottish National Party (Save Monklands Hospital)
	Alex Neil was born on the 22 nd August 1951 in Irvine and educated at Ayr Academy and Dundee University where he graduated with an MA(Hons) in Economics. From 1979 until 1983 he was Marketing Manager with Digital Equipment Corporation, from 1983 to 1987 the Director of Cumnock and Doon Enterprise Trust, from 1987 until 1989 an Executive Director of The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT), from 1987 until 1993 the Chairman of Network Scotland Ltd and from 1987 until 1999 he was an Economic consultant. Alex Neil was Labour's Scottish research officer but resigned with Jim Sillars to found the Scottish Labour Party in 1975 due to Labour's lack of committment to devolution. Like Jim Sillars, he later joined the Scottish National Party and was elected vice-convenor for policy. His electoral debut was in the 1989 Glasgow Central by-election, which helped to firmly establish the SNP as the second party of Scottish Politics. In September 2000 he was a candidate for the SNP leadership, polling 262 votes (32.4 %) compared to 547 (67.6 %) for John Swinney. In the parliament he is Convener of the Enterprise & Culture Committee, Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the on the Scottish Economy and Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament for Construction. He was Convener of the Enterprise & Life Long Learning Committee from September 2000 - April 2003. Shadow Ministerial Posts: May 1999 - September 2000 - Shadow Minister for Social Security (reserved matter) Committee Convenorships: May 2003 - Convener of the Enterprise & Culture Committee September 2000 - April 2003 Convener of the Enterprise & Life Long Learning Committee Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton North & Bellshill, 4,907 votes (20.28 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, First on SNP on SNP Central Scotland list, 59,274 votes (22.53 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Kilmarnock & Loudoun, 14,585 votes (37.07 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, First on SNP Central Scotland list, 91,802 votes (27.78 %) (elected) 1997 Westminster Parliament election, Kilmarnock & Loudoun, 16,365 votes (34.52 %) 1992 Westminster Parliament election, Kilmarnock & Loudoun, 15,231 votes (30.71 %) 1989 Westminster Parliament by-election, Glasgow Central, 8,018 votes (30.22 %)
	Michael McMahon MSP (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Labour
	Michael McMahon was born on the 18 th September 1961 in Bellshill and educated at Our Lady's High School in Motherwell and Glasgow Caledonian University where he graduated with a BA (Hons) in Social Sciences. From 1977 until 1992 he worked as a welder with Terex Equipment Ltd in Motherwell. From 1996 until his election in 1999 he was a political rsearcher. He is married and is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and the GMB. In the parliament he is the Convener of the Public Petitions Committee, and is also Convener of the Cross-Party Groups on Disability and on Palliative Care. Committee Convenorships: Convener of the Public Petitions Committee Labour Party positions February 2007 - Chief Whip of the Labour Party Ministerial positions None Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton North & Bellshill, 12,812 votes (52.95 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton North & Bellshill, 15,227 votes (48.78 %) (elected)
	Gordon Weir (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Independent
	Recent electoral experience

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 56 (40 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 16.34 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Conservative hit list: 62 (54 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 21.05 % from Labour to Conservative

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 55 (49 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 23.42 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 53,793 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill: 19,124 (35.6 %)
Lanark & Hamilton East: 15,576: (29.0 %)
Motherwell & Wishaw: 11,713: (21.8 %)
Airdrie & Shotts: 7,380 (13.7 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 51,965. Turnout 24,195, 46.56 % (- 11.26 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Michael McMahon MSP	12,812	52.95 %	+ 4.17 %
	Scottish National Party	Alex Neil MSP	4,907	20.28 %	- 10.54 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Charles Ferguson	2,625	10.85 %	+ 0.60 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Shareen Blackhall	1,932	7.99 %	(+ 7.99 %)
	Liberal Democrat	Siobhan Mathers	1,477	6.10 %	- 0.64 %
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	Gordon McIntosh	442	1.83 %	(+ 1.83 %)
	Labour hold	Labour majority	7,905	32.67 %	+ 14.71 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 51,965. Turnout 24,252, 46.67 % 148 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	10,594	43.68 %	- 0.75 %
	Scottish National Party	4,552	18.77 %	- 7.37 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	2,287	9.43 %	+ 0.18 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	2,065	8.51 %	6.32 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	1,664	6.86 %	(+ 6.86 %)
	Liberal Democrats	1,303	5.37 %	- 1.10 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,000	4.12 %	+ 2.20 %
	Socialist Labour Party	316	1.30 %	- 2.44 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	213	0.88 %	- 0.44 %
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	145	0.60 %	(+ 0.60 %)
	UK Independence Party	70	0.29 %	(+ 0.29 %)
	Mary Anderson (Independent)	43	0.18 %
	Labour majority	6,072	25.04 %	+ 6.75 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Michael McMahon	15,227	48.78 %	- 15.23 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Kathleen McAlorum	9,621	30.82 %	+ 11.73 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Stuart Thomson	3,199	10.25 %	- 0.13 %
	Liberal Democrat	Jayne Struthers	2,105	6.74 %	+ 1.68 %
	Socialist Labour	Katherine McGavigan	1,064	3.41 %	+ 3.41 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	5,606	17.96 %	- 26.96 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	13,873	44.43 %
	Scottish National Party	8,162	26.14 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	2,889	9.25 %
	Liberal Democrats	2,019	6.47 %
	Socialist Labour Party	1,167	3.74 %
	Member of Parliament for Falkirk West	774	2.48 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	684	2.19 %
	Scottish Green Party	599	1.92 %
	ProLife Alliance	469	1.50 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	412	1.32 %
	Natural Law Party	60	0.19 %
	Others: Scottish Families & Pensioners Party Independent Progressive (Breakdown not available)	118	0.38 %
	Labour majority	5,711	18.29 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Dr John Reid MP	24,322	64.01 %
	Scottish National Party	Michael Mathieson	7,255	19.09 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Gordon McIntosh	3,944	10.38 %
	Liberal Democrat	Keith Legg	1,924	5.06 %
	Referendum	Raymond Conn	554	1.46%
	Labour hold	Labour majority	17,067	44.92 %

Links