Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'A few minutes earlier, Scottish Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson had wandered on to the running track to universal indifference. Ms Ferguson, while no doubt terribly nice in her way, has something of a reputation as a human tumbleweed at Holyrood. Wherever she goes, the atmosphere vanishes.' Tom Gordon in the Herald, 8 th September 2006.

Glasgow Maryhill (Glasgow Region)

Candidates

	Bob Doris (Also number 4 on Glasgow list)
	Scottish National Party
	Bob Doris is convenor of the SNP Glasgow Regional Association, a group of SNP members from 10 constituencies in and around the city who join together for campaigning purposes. He was campaign manager for Dr Bill Wilson, SNP leadership challenger in September 2003. In February 2006 he was the SNP organiser for the Milton by-election for Glasgow Council which Billy McAllister won with a 15.1 % swing from Labour to the SNP. At a well-attended meeting held on Friday 21st April at Maryhill Community Central Halls, Bob Doris was unanimously endorsed as the SNP candidate Maryhill Constituency. Recent electoral experience
	Kenneth Elder (Also number 6 on Glasgow list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Kenneth Elder was a supporter of Chris Huhne for Lib Dem leader. Recent electoral experience
	Patricia Ferguson MSP (Not standing on Glasgow list)
	Labour
	Patricia Ferguson was born on the 24 th September 1958 and educated at Garnethill Convent Secondary in Glasgow and Glasgow College of Technology where she obtained a SHNC in Public Administration. From 1978 - 1990, she was a health service administrator in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, the from 1990 to 1994 an administrator for the STUC in Glasgow. She served as a Labour Party organiser ffrom 1994 until 1996 and a Scottish Officer of the Labour Party from 1996 until her election in 1999. She is married to Bill Butler the MSP for Glasgow Anniesland and is a member of GMB/Apex. In the parliament she led the British-Irish Parliamentary Body delegation. After being elected as MSP for Glasgow Maryhill in May 1999 she was Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and, more recently, as a member of the Parliament's Standards and Procedures Committees. She first Joined the Cabinet in November 2001 as Minister for Parliament and was re-appointed as Minister for Parliamentary Business after the 2003 election. She became Minister for Tourism, Culture & Sport in October 2004. Parliamentary positions May 1999 - November 2001 - Deputy Presiding Officer Ministerial positions November 2001 - May 2003 - Minister for Parliament May 2003 - October 2004 Minister for Parliamentary Business October 2004 - Minister for Tourism, Culture & Sport Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Glasgow Maryhill, 8,997 votes (49.32 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Glasgow Maryhill, 11,455 votes (49.78 %) (elected)
	Heather MacLeod (Also number 3 on Glasgow list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Heather MacLeod has lived in the west end of Glasgow all her life and currently resides in Maryhill. She became aÊ candidate in September, 2006 and this is her first time standing for Holyrood. Qualifying as a Registered General Nurse at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1980 Heather has worked in the NHS and in 1990 went into clinical researchÊ in the pharmaceutical industry. She has two daughters, one working in research, the other as a Vet. "The country needs more meaningful engagement from politicians, through public service I wish to impactÊ positively in the lives of others and contribute to making Scotland a better placeÊ for all of us live. For too long we have received a substandard service and poor governance from our Politicians in Holyrood." Recent electoral experience.

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 48 (45 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 14.72 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 45 (48 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 19.77 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Rank on Conservative hit list: 64 (62 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 22.23 % from Labour to Conservative

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 54,342 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Glasgow North: 37,970 (69.9 %)
Glasgow North East: 16,372 (30.1 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 49,119. Turnout 18,243, 37.14 % (- 3.61 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Patricia Ferguson MSP	8,997	49.32 %	- 0.46 %
	Scottish National Party	Dr Bill Wilson	3,629	19.89 %	- 11.09 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Donnie Nicolson	2,945	16.14 %	- 9.89 %
	Liberal Democrat	Arthur Sanderson	1,789	9.78 %	+ 1.88 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Robert Erskine	887	4.86 %	- 0.33 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	5,368	29.42 %	+ 10.62 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 49,119. Turnout 18,218, 37.09 % 145 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	6,984	38.34 %	- 3.46 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	3,249	17.83 %	+ 11.26 %
	Scottish National Party	3,104	17.04 %	- 12.80 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,671	9.17 %	+ 3.88 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,175	6.45 %	- 0.26 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	691	3.79 %	- 1.46 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	372	2.04 %	(+ 2.04 %)
	Socialist Labour Party	292	1.60 %	- 0.34 %
	British National Party	218	1.20 %	(+ 1.20 %)
	Scottish Unionist Party	203	1.11 %	+ 0.31 %
	Pro-Life Party	141	0.77 %	+ 0.01 %
	UK Independence Party	58	0.32 %	(+ 0.32 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	33	0.18 %	(+ 0.18 %)
	Communist Party Peace Democracy Socialism	27	0.15 %	- 0.10 %
	Labour majority	3,735	20.50 %	+ 8.54 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Patricia Ferguson	11,455	49.78 %	- 15.16 %
	Scottish National Party	Dr Bill Wilson	7,129	30.98 %	+ 14.03 %
	Liberal Democrat	Clare Hamblen	1,793	7.79 %	+ 0.66 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Gordon Scott	1,439	6.25 %	+ 4.87 %
	Conservative &Unionist	Michael Fry	1,194	5.19 %	- 0.69 %
	Lab win	Labour majority	4,326	18.80 %	- 29.19 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	9,684	41.80 %
	Scottish National Party	6,914	29.84 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,554	6.71 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,523	6.57 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,226	5.29 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,216	5.25 %
	Socialist Labour Party	449	1.94 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	186	0.80 %
	Pro Life Alliance	176	0.76 %
	Communist Party of Britain	58	0.25 %
	Humanist Party	55	0.24 %
	Socialist Party of Great Britain	52	0.22 %
	Natural Law Party	50	0.22 %
	Bridget McGeechan, The People Choice	26	0.11 %
	Labour majority	2,770	11.96 %

1 st May 1997 (Westminster Election)

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Maria Fyfe	19,301	64.94 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr John Wailes	5,037	16.95 %
	Liberal Democrat	Elspeth Attwool	2,119	7.13 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Stuart Baldwin	1,747	5.88%
	Natural Law	Lorna Blair	651	2.19%
	Scottish Socialist Alliance	Mandy Baker	409	1.38%
	Pro Life Alliance	Jahangir Hanif	344	1.16%
	Referendum	Roderick Paterson	77	0.26%
	SEP	Steve Johnstone	36	0.12%
	Labour hold	Labour majority	14,264	47.99 %

Links

• Glasgow SNP
  
  
• SNP Maryhill Branch
  
  
• Bob Doris' blog