Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Unless the Scottish Tories make up their mind what they want to be, their MSPs will be going to Holyrood soon in a single taxi cab.' Scotsman editorial, 28 th August 2006.

Edinburgh Pentlands (Lothians Region)

Candidates

	Dr Simon Clark (Also number 2 on Lothians list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Dr Simon Clark, was born in 1954 and was educated at Clifton College and Henbury Comprehensive in Bristol and at the London School of Economics where he graduated with a BSc, an MSc and a PhD. He works as a senior lecturer in Economics and is married with one daughter. His interests include Economic policy, Education, keeping fit and history. He was a candidate for Edinburgh City Council in 2003 and also contested Edinburgh Pentlands at the 2003 Scottish parliamentary election, coming fourth with 11.8 %. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Edinburgh South West, 9,252 votes (21.06 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh Pentlands, 3,943 votes (11.81 %) 2003 Edinburgh City council election, Firrhill, 374 votes (12.12 %)
	Cllr Sheila Gilmore (Not standing on Lothians list)
	Labour
	Shiela Gilmore is the Cllr for the Moredun ward on the City of Edinburgh Council and is in charge of Community Safety & Housing. On the council she is a member of: Placing in Schools Appeals Committee, Head Teacher Appointments Committee, The Executive, Advisory Committee on Youth Services and The Executive (Educational Matters). She is a Director of: EDI, Craigmillar Joint Venture Company, South Edinburgh Partnership and Capital City Homes and a member of SPOKES and the Labour Party. She will be geting £20,000 for standing down from the Council. Recent electoral experience 2003 City of Edinburgh Council election, Moredun, 1,524 votes (53.45 %) (elected) 1999 City of Edinburgh Council election, Moredun, 1,774 votes (50.13 %) (elected) 1995 City of Edinburgh Council election, Inch, 1,715 votes (56.88 %) (elected) 1992 Edinburgh District Council election, Inch, 1,333 votes (49.78 %) (elected)
	Dr Ian McKee (Also number 3 on Lothians list)
	Scottish National Party
	Born in South Shields, educated at Fettes College, and Edinburgh University where he graduated in medicine, Ian is married with 5 children. After RAF service, Ian became a GP at Sighthill and Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, becoming senior partner in 1980. He has an interest in community affairs and is a member of the Wester Hailes Health Agency, the Broomhouse Beacon Club, and was a member of the 1998 Lord Provost of Edinburgh's Commission on Social Exclusion. Dr McKee was previously an RAF medical officer and is Scottish Advisor to the British Pharmaceutical Industry Association and a member of the British Medical Association. He joined the SNP in 1998 and was a member of the SNP Social Welfare Advisory Forum. For seven years he wrote the weekly Daily Record 'Doc' column and has extensive writing and broadcasting experience. Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh Pentlands, 5,620 votes (16.84 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Third on SNP Lothians list, 43,142 votes (16.24 %) 2001 Westminster election, Edinburgh Central, 4,832 votes (14.05 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh Central, 9,598 votes (25.65 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Seventh on SNP Lothians list, 85,085 votes (25.74 %)
	David McLetchie MSP (Also number 1 on Lothians list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	David McLetchie was born in Edinburgh on the 6 th August 1952 and educated at Leith Academy and George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. He studied law at Edinburgh University where he gained an LLB (Hons) graduating in 1974. He qualified as a solicitor in 1976, having worked as an apprentice solicitor with Shepherd & Wedderburn from 1974. He joined Tods Murray WS in Edinburgh becoming a partner in 1980 and latterly heading the department dealing with tax, estates and trusts. He resigned from the firm in February 2005 after accusations of paid advocacy. Active in Young Conservatives and Conservative student politics from 1968, he was the Conservative candidate for Edinburgh Central in the 1979 General Election. He has held numerous senior positions within the Scottish Conservative Party at constituency and national level and was President of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Association from 1994-1997. In September 1998 he was elected to lead the Party's campaign in the first election to the Scottish Parliament held in 1999. He was returned as a regional list member for Lothians. In the 2003 election he won the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency. He was the leader of the Scottish Conservative MSPs from 1999 and surprised many by taking to the rôle like a fish to water. He participated in the downfall of First Minister Henry McLeish over his expenses muddle, but found himself in a muddle in 2005 over his taxi expenses. He offered to pay back any money which he had wrongly claimed on the 26 th of October 2005 but resigned as Scottish Tory leader on the 31 st. Four days later Brian Monteith revealed the Scottish Tory whip after a Sunday newspaper revealed that he had emailed suggesting an editorial calling for McLetchie's resignation. He is married to Sheila, a theatre nurse at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. He has a 24 year old son James, by his first marriage to his late wife Barbara. Party positions 1994 - 1997 - President of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Association 1997 - October 2005 - Leader of the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party May 1999 - October 2005 - Tory leader in the Scottish Parliament Recent electoral experience. 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh Pentlands, 12,420 votes (37.21 %) (elected) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, First on Tory Lothians list, 40,173 votes (15.12 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh Pentlands, 11,458 votes (28.93 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, First on Tory Lothians list, 52,067 votes (15.75 %) (elected) 1979 Westminster election, Edinburgh Central, 7,530 votes (29.55 %)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Labour hit list: 9 (- in 2003)
Swing required for Labour gain: 3.16 % from Conservative to Labour

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 28 (24 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 10.19 % from Conservative to Scottish National Party

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 14 (8 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 12.70 % from Conservative to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 60,562 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Edinburgh South West: 49,264 (81.3 %)
Edinburgh South: 11,298 (18.7 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 58,534. Turnout 33,382, 57.03 % (- 8.94 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative & Unionist	David McLetchie MSP	12,420	37.21 %	+ 8.28 %
	Labour	Iain Gray MSP	10,309	30.88 %	- 5.34 %
	Scottish National Party	Dr Ian McKee	5,620	16.84 %	- 5.31 %
	Liberal Democrat	Dr Simon Clark	3,943	11.81 %	- 0.89 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Frank O'Donnell	1,090	3.27 %	(+ 3.27 %)
	Conservative gain from Labour	Conservative majority	2,111	6.32 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 58,534. Turnout 33,382, 57.03 % 149 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative & Unionist	9,295	27.85 %	+ 1.54 %
	Labour	6,424	19.24 %	- 7.07 %
	Scottish National Party	4,571	13.69 %	- 8.75 %
	Scottish Green Party	3,905	11.70 %	+ 5.65 %
	Margo MacDonald MSP	3,681	11.03 %	(+ 11.03 %)
	Liberal Democrats	2,982	8.93 %	- 5.43 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,144	3.43 %	+ 2.40 %
	Pensioners's Party	556	1.67 %	(+ 1.67 %)
	Liberal Party In Scotland	210	0.63 %
	Socialist Labour Party	170	0.51 %	- 1.89 %
	UK Independence Party	136	0.41 %	(+ 0.41 %)
	Adam Lyle's Witchery Tour Party	102	0.31 %
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	76	0.23 %	(+ 0.23 %)
	Pro-Life Party	69	0.21 %	- 0.04 %
	Mary Campbell (Independent)	40	0.12 %
	Alexander Scott (Independent)	14	0.04 %
	Peter Gatensbury (Independent)	6	0.02 %
	Conservative majority	2,871	9.95 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Iain Gray	14,343	36.22 %	- 6.79 %
	Conservative & Unionist	David McLetchie	11,458	28.93 %	- 3.45 %
	Scottish National Party	Stewart Gibb	8,770	22.15 %	+ 9.14 %
	Liberal Democrat	Ian Gibson	5,029	12.70 %	+ 2.70 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	2,885	7.29 %	- 3.34 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list vote result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	10,459	26.31 %
	Conservative & Unionist	10,111	25.52 %
	Scottish National Party	8,894	22.44 %
	Liberal Democrats	5,691	14.36 %
	Scottish Green Party	2,396	6.05 %
	Socialist Labour Party	952	2.40 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	410	1.03 %
	ProLife Alliance	98	0.25 %
	Natural Law Party	53	0.13 %
	Others: Liberal Party Witchery Tour Party Civil Rights Movement Braveheart Socialist Party of Great Britain Independent Voice for Scottish Parliament Independent Independent Anti-Corruption, Mobile Home Scandal, Roads (No breakdown available)	595	1.50 %
	Labour majority	315	0.79 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Linda Clark QC	19,675	43.01 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Malcolm Rifkind QC	14,812	32.38 %
	Scottish National Party	Stewart Gibb	5,952	13.01 %
	Liberal Democrat	Jennifer Dawe	4,575	10.00 %
	Referendum	Malcolm McDonald	422	0.92 %
	Green	Robin Harper	224	0.49 %
	UK Independence	Allistair McConnachie	81	0.18 %
	Labour gain from Conservative	Labour majority	4,862	10.63 %

Links

• Edinburgh & Lothians SNP