Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'He said he's my grandson. As you probably know, in every litter there's a runt. We used to drown them, now we send them up to Holyrood.' Cllr Jim McCabe, Labour leader of North Lanarkshire Council, about Tom McCabe MSP, Labour Minister for Public Service Reform, 7 th March 2007.

Hamilton South (Central Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Tom McCabe MSP (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Labour
	Tom McCabe made history when he was elected as the first member of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. He was born on the 28 th April 1954 in Hamilton and educated at St Martin's Secondary School in Hamilton and the Bell College of Technology in Hamilton where he obtained a Dip Public Sector Management. From 1974 until 1993 he worked for Hoover PLC. He was a Welfare Rights Officer and leader of South Lanarkshire Council. He is single, a Christian and a member of Amicus - AEEU. Ministerial positions October 2004 - Minister for Finance & Public Services May 2003 - October 2004 Deputy Minister for Health May 1999 - November 2001 Minister for Parliament, Business Manager & Chief Whip Council positions 1992 - 1996 Leader, Hamilton District Council 1996 - 1999 Leader, South Lanarkshire Council Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton South, 9,546 votes (46.53 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton South, 14,098 votes (54.39 %) (elected) 1995 South Lanarkshie Counil election, Larkhall West, 995 votes (67.05 %) (elected) Hamilton District Councillor
	Michael McGlynn (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Independent
	Recent electoral experience
	Christina McKelvie (Also number 5 on Central Scotland list)
	Scottish National Party
	Christina McKelvie is the current secretary and campaign coordinator in Glasgow Baillieston, she is a long standing member of the NOC. She is the mother of two sons one in primary and one in secondary school. She has worked in various frontline roles within Glasgow city council social work services for over 18 years and is currently a Learning and Development Officer with the Training section. She is also an elected community councillor and the health and social care spokesperson for the Community Council. Her proactive involvement in the Commnity Council and local community resulted in her being one of the speakers and workshop leaders at the Community Council conference in Glasgow Royal concert hall. The subject being electoral reform and diversity. She is also an elected Unison Steward and she sits on the branch committee. This has given her direct experience representing people and winning cases on behalf of workers. Christina has been an active member since 1999. She has been a committed Nationalist since the age of 8 and has campaigned tirelessly for the cause. Recent electoral experience Elected Community Councillor
	Margaret Mitchell MSP (Also number 1 on Central Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Margaret Mitchell was born in Coatbridge on the 15 th November 1952 and was educated at Coatbridge High, Jordanhill College where she obtained a Certificate in Media Studies, at the Open University where she graduated with a BA, at Strathclyde University where she graduated with an LLB, Dip LLP and at Hamilton Teacher Training where she obtained a Dip EDUC. From 1974 until 1990 she worked as a teacher in Strathclyde region, then from 1992 until 1997 as a Non Executive Director of the Hairmyres & Stonehouse NHS trust. From 1999 to 2003 she was a Special Adviser to Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie MSP and to Lord Selkirk of Douglas MSP. In 1990 she was appointed a Justice of the Peace. In 2003 she toped the Tory Central Scotland list in the place of Lyndsay McIntosh who defected to the Scottish Peoples Alliance and became the third Central Scotland regional MSP. She is married and is a member of the EIS and the GTC. She is Co-Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Dyslexia and Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. She and her spouse own 100% of the issue share capital of Fairfield Properties Ltd. She owns 33% of the issue share capital of Glenmanor Ltd., Tax Ensure Ltd. and Fairfield Financial Services Ltd. Party positions November 2005 - Justice spokesperson 2003 - November 2005 Deputy Justice & Home Affairs spokesperson Recent electoral experience. 2003 Scottish parliament election, Hamilton South, 2,601 votes (12.68 %) 2003 Scottish parliament election, First on Tory Central Scotland list, 24,121 votes (9.17 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Hamilton South, 2,918 votes (11.26 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Second on Tory Central Scotland list, 30,243 votes (9.15 %) 1997 Westminster parliament election, Cunninghame North, 9,647 votes (23.46 %) Hamilton District Councillor for Ferniegair 1988 - 1996
	John Oswald (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	John Oswald was born in 1954 and educated in Glasgow. He has lived in Hamilton for 33 years. He is married with three children who attend local schools. He has served in the British Army and currently runs his own building business. He was a council candidate in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2003 and has contested several parliamentary elections. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster Parliament election, East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow, 7,904 votes (16.56 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton South, 1,756 votes (8.56 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Seventh on Lib Dem Central Scotland list, 15,494 votes (5.89 %) 2002 South Lanarkshire Council by-election, Whitehill, 41 votes (6.93 %) 2001 Westminster Parliament election, Hamilton South, 2,381 votes (8.90 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Hamilton South, 1,982 votes (7.65 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Ninth on Lib Dem Central Scotland list, 20,505 votes (6.20 %) 1992 Westminster Parliament election, Hamilton, 3,515 votes (7.50 %)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 34 (57 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 11.76 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Conservative hit list: 48 (60 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 16.93 % from Labour to Conservative

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 42 (52 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 18.99 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 47,101 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Rutherglen & Hamilton West: 31,472 (66.8 %)
Lanark & Hamilton East: 15,629 (33.2 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 45,749. Turnout 20,518, 44.85 % (- 10.58 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Tom McCabe MSP	9,546	46.53 %	- 7.86 %
	Scottish National Party	John Wilson	4,722	23.01	- 3.70 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Margaret Mitchell	2,601	12.68 %	+ 1.42 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Willie O'Neill	1,893	9.23 %	(+ 9.23 %)
	Liberal Democrat	John Oswald	1,756	8.56 %	+ 0.91 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	4,824	23.51 %	- 4.18 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 45,749. Turnout 20,612, 45.05 % 161 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	8,236	39.96 %	- 5.70 %
	Scottish National Party	3,896	18.90 %	- 6.37 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,912	9.28 %	- 0.59 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	1,663	8.07 %	(+ 8.07 %)
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,642	7.97 %	- 6.49 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,289	6.25 %	- 1.07 %
	Scottish Green Party	981	4.76 %	+ 2.86 %
	Socialist Labour Party	417	2.02 %	- 2.32 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	250	1.21 %	+ 0.49 %
	Mary Anderson (Independent)	137	0.66 %
	UK Independence Party	117	0.57 %	(+ 0.57 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	72	0.35 %	(+ 0.35 %)
	Labour majority	4,340	21.06 %	+ 0.67 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Cllr Tom McCabe	14,098	54.39 %	- 11.21 %
	Scottish National Party	Adam Ardrey	6,922	26.71 %	+ 9.09 %
	Conservative &Unionist	Cllr Margaret Mitchell	2,918	11.26 %	+ 2.62 %
	Liberal Democrat	John Oswald	1,982	7.65 %	+ 2.53 %
	Labour gain	Labour majority	7,176	27.69 %	- 20.29 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	11,645	45.66 %
	Scottish National Party	6,445	25.27 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	2,517	9.87 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,868	7.32 %
	Socialist Labour Party	1,102	4.34 %
	Member of Parliament for Falkirk West	663	2.60 %
	Scottish Green Party	485	1.90 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	378	1.48 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	183	0.72 %
	Natural Law Party	48	0.19 %
	ProLife Alliance	22	0.09 %
	Others: Scottish Families & Pensioners Party Independent Progressive (Breakdown not available)	146	0.57 %
	Labour majority	5,200	20.39 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	George Robertson MP	21,709	65.60 %
	Scottish National Party	Ian Black	5,831	17.62 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Robert Kilgour	2,858	8.64 %
	Liberal Democrat	Richard Pitts	1,693	5.12 %
	Pro Life	Colin Gunn	684	2.07%
	Referendum	Stuart Brown	316	0.95%
	Labour hold	Labour majority	15,878	47.98 %

Links

• Christina's View (Christina McKelvie, Scottish National Party, blog)
  
  
• Hamilton South Scottish National Party