Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Vagueness is the most serious criticism of the present Liberal Democrat image. Under Kennedy, they presented a clear alternative to New Labour and the Conservatives. Nobody who voted for the Liberal Democrats at the last election could have been in any doubt about who or what they were voting for. Now, there is a very real question about where David Cameron's 'liberal' Tories end and the LibDems begin.' Iain Macwhirter in the Sunday Herald, 11 th June 2006.

Shetland (Highlands & Islands Region)

New constituency created in 1999

Candidates

	Scott Burnett (Not standing on Highlands & Islands list)
	Labour
	Scott Burnett is 51 and lives in Aberdeen. He works as a union official with the CWU (Communnication Workers' Union). He is chaiman of Aberdeen North constituency Labour Party and has been election agent to Aberdeen North MP Frank Doran. Recent electoral experience
	Mark Jones (Also number 7 on Highlands & Islands list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Mark Jones lives in Orkney where he owns a farm at Holm of Grimbister. A university graduate with an honours degree in history and politics, he was a Councillor of the London Borough of Redbridge and served as the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Young Conservative Chairman. He is also a past Chairman of the Orkney Constituency and a member of the Conservative Party's Scottish Council. Commenting on his selection Mr Jones said: "I am delighted to be standing for a local seat at a time when the Conservative Party is back on the up, under our dynamic new leader David Cameron. Folk have had enough of Tony Blair and Jack McConnell and are realising that the Conservatives provide a credible alternative to the left of centre parties that have dominated Holyrood since its creation. We are a voice for change, optimism and hope." Mr Mullay added: "The local committee were impressed with Mark's credentials and pleased to have a hard working candidate with an impressive track record, a good understanding of island problems and concerns, plus the ability and energy to represent Shetland's interests in the Scottish Parliament." Recent electoral experience. 2005 Westminster election, Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock, 10,436 votes (23.17 %) Tory Councillor for London Borough of Redburgh
	Tavish Scott MSP (Not standing on Highlands & Islands list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Tavish Scott was born in Inverness on the 6 th May 1966 and educated at Anderson High School in Lerwick and Napier College in Edinburgh where he graduated with a BA (Hons) in Business Studies. He worked as a Parliamentary researcher for Jim Wallace, the MP for Orkney and Shetland from 1989 to 1990 and then from 1990 to 1992 as Press Officer for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in Edinburgh. In 1992, until his election to the Scottish parliament in 1999, he was a farmer in Shetland. He aslo worked from 1994 to 1999 as Chairman and Trustee of Lerwick Harbour Trust, and from 1997 to 1999 Director Shetland Islands Tourism. She also served on Shetland Council from 1994 until 1999. In October 2000 he was appointed as deputy to Minister for Parliament, Tom McCabe, but he resigned in March 2001 over the Executive's fishing policy. He was brought back as a Deputy Minister by Jack McConnell after the 2003 election and became Minister for Minister for Transport & Telecommunications in June 2005. In March 2006 he scrapped tolls on the Erskine bridge but kept tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges, despite the Lib Dems having campaigned against tolls on the Forth Road Bridge in the Dunfermine & West Fife Westminster by-election in February In November 2006, the Sunday Herald revealed that Mr Scott was claiming nearly £1,000 a month in mortgage interest payments despite having made a £36,000 profit on the sale of a flat bought with public money. The newspaper also revealed that he had previously claimed rent on a flat owned by his sister. Ministerial positions October 2000 - March 2001 - Deputy Minister for Parliament May 2003 - June 2005 - Deputy Minister for Finance & Public Service Reform and for Parliamentary Business June 2005 - Minister for Transport & Telecommunications Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Shetland, 3,989 votes, (46.14 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Shetland, 5,435 votes, (54.47 %) (elected) 1994 Shetland Islands Council election, Lerwick Harbour & Bressay, 221 votes (52.87 %) (elected)
	Val Simpson (Not standing on Highlands & Islands list)
	Scottish National Party
	Val Simpson was born in Glasgow in 1942 and was educated at Glasgow University. She worked in social services, and in training and information for elderly people and youngsters. She is currently involved in voluntary development work and training for Age Concern Scotland and Victim Support. She has a grown-up family and lists her interests as theatre, the arts, reading, and spending time with her family. Willie Ross, who contested Orkney for the SNP in 1999 and 2003 said "The party is delighted that Val Simpson had been chosen to contest the Shetland seat, as she was a very able candidate who would argue strongly the case for Scottish independence as the real way to give hope for a prosperous future for the islands." Recent electoral experience

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 41 (65 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 13.07 % from Liberal Democrat to Scottish National Party

Rank on Conservative hit list: 4 (65 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 15.66 % from Liberal Democrat to Conservative

Rank on Labour hit list: 22 (18 in 2003)
Swing required for Labour gain: 17.98 % from Liberal Democrat to Labour

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

At Westminster, Shetland forms a constituency with Orkney.

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 16,677. Turnout 8,645, 51.84 % (- 6.93 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Liberal Democrat	Tavish Scott MSP	3,989	46.14 %	- 8.33 %
	Scottish National Party	Willie Ross	1,729	20.00 %	+ 5.67 %
	Conservative &Unionist	John Firth	1,281	14.82 %	+ 6.08 %
	Labour	Peter Hamilton	880	10.18 %	- 12.28 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Peter Andrews	766	8.86 %	(+ 8.86 %)
	Liberal Democrat hold	Liberal Democrat majority	2,260	26.14 %	- 5.87 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 16,667. Turnout 8,711, 52.26 % 105 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Liberal Democrats	2,464	28.63 %	- 13.67 %
	Scottish National Party	1,488	17.29 %	+ 0.99 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,121	13.03 %	+ 1.52 %
	Labour	1,082	12.57 %	- 6.18 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,011	11.75 %	+ 10.77 %
	Scottish Green Party	773	8.98 %	+ 3.83 %
	UK Independence Party	103	1.20 %	(+ 1.20 %¡
	Socialist Labour Party	93	1.08 %	- 0.49 %
	Robbie the Pict	287	3.32 %	+ 1.84 %
	The Countryside Party	83	0.96 %	(+ 0.96 %)
	Protect Rural Scotland	53	0.62 %	(+ 0.62 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	30	0.35 %	(+0.35 %)
	Arthur Robertson	15	0.17 %	(+ 0.17 %)
	The Rural Party	3	0.03 %	(+ 0.03 %)
	Liberal Democrat majority	976	11.34 %	- 12.21 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Liberal Democrat	Cllr Tavish Scott	5,435	54.47 %	(+ 2.48 %)
	Labour	Dr Jonathan Wills	2,241	22.46 %	(+ 4.19 %)
	Scottish National Party	Willie Ross	1,430	14.33 %	(+ 1.63 %)
	Conservative & Unionist	Gary Robinson	872	8.74 %	(- 3.49 %)
	Liberal Democrat win	Liberal Democrat majority	3,194	32.01 %	(- 1.71 %)

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	4,225	42.30 %
	Labour	1,873	18.75 %
	Scottish National Party	1,628	16.30 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,150	11.51 %
	Scottish Green Party	514	5.15 %
	Socialist Labour Party	157	1.57 %
	Scottish People's Mission	148	1.48 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	98	0.98 %
	Highlands & Islands Alliance	78	0.78 %
	Sir Iain Noble	56	0.56 %
	Natural Law Party	24	0.24 %
	Arthur Robertson	24	0.24 %
	International Independent	14	0.14 %
	Liberal Democrat majority	2,352	23.55 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election - Orkney & Shetland

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrat	Jim Wallace MP	10,743	51.99 %
	Labour	James Paton	3,775	18.27 %
	Scottish National Party	Willie Ross	2,624	12.70 %
	Conservative &Unionist	Hope Vere Anderson	2,527	12.23 %
	Referendum	Francis Adamson	820	3.97 %
	Natural Law	Christian Wharton	116	0.56 %
	Independent	Arthur Robertson	60	0.29 %
	Liberal Democrat hold	Liberal Democrat majority	6,968	33.72 %

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