Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'On February 23 Fife Central Labour MSP Christine May told The Courier, "If the tolls come off the Erskine Bridge but do not come off the Forth and Tay bridges I would be disappointed. I can see no logic in that. I think my constituents will be disappointed and I will continue to make the case for Fife." Yesterday she voted to keep the tolls on the Tay.' The Courier, 31 st March 2006.

Fife Central (Mid Scotland & Fife Region)

Candidates

	Maurice Golden (Also number 9 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Maurice Golden was educated at Dundee University. In 2004, he was editor of the Dundee University Student Times, which obtained the nickname ''Life in Dundee according to Maurice Golden'. He is currently the Chairman of Conservative Future Scotland, an organisation for members of the Scottish Conservative Party under the age of 30, and is a member of the Scottish Tory Executive. In 2006 he was on the short list as Tory candidate in the Dunfermline & West Fife by-election and was described by Fife Tory leader Cllr Stuart Randall as 'the token male'. Recent electoral experience.
	Tricia Marwick MSP (Also number 4 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Scottish National Party
	Tricia Marwick was born to a mining family in Cowdenbeath on the 5 th November 1953 and worked as a Public Affairs Officer for Shelter Scotland from 1992 until her election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. In 1992 she contested Fife Central, taking the SNP from fourth to second place and increasing their vote by 9.6 %. She also contested the seat in 1997, 1999 and 2003, reducing the Labour majority from 15,709 in 1987 to 2,762 in 2003. In the parliament she co-sponsored Lord Watson's anti fox hunting bill and performed well in the chamber and in the Standards Committee, acting in concert with Adam Ingram during the Lobbygate scandal. Alex Salmond appointed her as Shadow Deputy Business Manager, while John Swinney promoted her to Shadow Business Manager, and Shadow Minister for Broadcasting & Gaelic in September 2000. In June 2001 she became Shadow Minister for Local Government, a post which she held until September 2005 when she was appointed Shadow Minister for Housing. She is currently Convener of the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill Committee, a member of the Communities Committee and a Substitute Member of the Procedures Committee. Shadow Ministerial positions May 1999 - September 2000 Deputy Business Manager September 2000 - June 2001 - Business Manager, Broadcasting & Gaelic June 2001 - September 2004 - Shadow Minister for Local Government September 2004 - September 2005 - Business Manager & Chief Whip September 2005 - Shadow Minister for Housing Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Fife Central, 7,829 votes (30.59 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Third on the SNP Mid Scotland & Fife list, 57,631 votes (323.04 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Fife Central, 10,153 votes (30.91 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Third on the SNP Mid Scotland & Fife list, 87,659 votes (28.68 %) (elected) 1997 Westminster parliament election, Fife Central, 10,199 votes (25.02 %) 1992 Westminster parliament election, Fife Central, 10,458 votes (25.06 %)
	Christine May MSP
	Labour
	Christine May was born in Dublin on the 23 rd March 1948 and educated at the College of Catering & Domestic Science, in Dublin. From 1965 to 1981 she worked as a Catering Manager Dublin and London and from 1987 until 1994 as a Lecturer at Fife College. She is married and a member of the TGWU and the Co-operative party. She was a Kirkcady District Councillor from 1988 until 1996 and a Fife Councillor from 1995 until 1999. She was Leader of Kirkcaldy District Council from 1993 until 1996 and leader of Fife Council from 1998 until 2003. She beat Donald Dewar's spin doctor David Whitton by just two votes to succeed Henry McLeish as candidate for Fife Central, becoming an MSP in 2003. In the parliament she is Deputy Convener of the Enterprise and Culture Committee, and of the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill Committee, a Member of the Standards and Public Appointments Committee and a Substitute Member of the Communities Committee. In March 2006, despite having stated 'I will continue to make the case for Fife.' Christine May voted to keep tolls on the Tay Bridge. Ministerial positions None Council positions 1993 - 1996 Leader of Kirkcaldy District Council 1998 - 2003 Leader of Fife Council Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Fife Central, 10,591 votes (41.38 %) (elected) 1999 European parliament election, Fouth on Labour's national list, 283,490 votes (28.69 %) 1999 Fife Council elections, Hayfield & Balsusney, 899 votes (51.37 %) (elected) 1995 Fife Council elections, Hayfield, 548 votes (41.52 %) (elected) 1992 Kirkcaldy District Council election (elected) 1988 Kirkcaldy District Council election (elected)
	Cllr Elizabeth Riches (Not standing on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Elizabeth Riches is the leader of the Lib Dem group on Fife Council. She has been a Cllr since 1990 when she won the Fife Regional Council seat of Crail/Anstruther from the Tories. Married with a son, she was trained as a biology teacher, and now runs a small organic herb growing business. She enjoys travelling, walking and the arts. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster Parliament election, Glenrothes, 4,728 votes (12.65 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Fife Central, 2,775 votes (8.54 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Third on Lib Dem Mid Scotland & Fife list, 30,112 votes (12.04 %) 2003 Fife Council election, Anstruther & East Neuk Landward, 813 votes, (47.96 %) (elected) 1999 Fife Council election, Anstruther & East Neuk Landward, 1,118 votes, (54.54 %) (elected) 1995 Fife Council election, Kilrenny, Anstruther & Carnbee, 690 votes, (47.92 %) (elected) 1994 Fife Regional Council Election, Crail & Anstruther, 1,731 votes, (55.45 %) (elected) 1990 Fife Regional Council Election, Crail/Anstruther, 1,282 votes, (41.18 %) (elected)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 12 (54 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 5.40 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Conservative hit list: 51 (71 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 17.17 % from Labour to Conservative

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 33 (58 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 17.32 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 59,231 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Glenrothes: 55,666 (94.0 %)
Fife North East: 3,565 (6.0 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 58,099. (reported as 57,633 in the press) Turnout 25,597, 44.41 % (- 11.76 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour Co-op	Cllr Christine May	10,591	41.38 %	- 15.93 %
	Scottish National Party	Tricia Marwick MSP	7,829	30.59 %	- 0.32 %
	Independent	Andrew Rodger	2,258	8.82 %	(+ 8.82 %)
	Conservative & Unionist	James North	1,803	7.04 %	+ 1.20 %
	Liberal Democrat	Cllr Elizabeth Riches	1,725	6.74 %	+ 0.80 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Morag Balfour	1,391	5.43 %	(+ 5.43 %)
	Labour Co-op hold	Labour Co-op majority	2,762	10.79 %	- 15.62 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 58,099. Turnout 25,698, 44.23 % 136 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	9,954	38.94 %	- 8.49 %
	Scottish National Party	7,093	27.75 %	- 4.31 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,822	7.13 %	+ 0.24 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,728	6.76 %	- 0.79 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,329	5.20 %	+ 4.20 %
	Pensioners's Party	1,141	4.46 %	(+ 4.46 %)
	Scottish Green Party	966	3.78 %	+ 0.81 %
	Socialist Labour Party	337	1.32 %	- 1.11 %
	Tom Gray, Independent	288	1.13 %	(+ 1.13 %)
	Fighting Hospital Closures & Downgrading	243	0.95 %	(+ 0.95 %)
	UK Independence Party	227	0.89 %	(+ 0.89 %)
	Christian Independent Alliance Upholding Community Values	135	0.53 %	(+ 0.53 %)
	Save Local Hospitals - Dunfermline, Perth, Stirling	121	0.47 %	(+ 0.47 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	101	0.40 %	(+ 0.40 %)
	Damien Quigg, Independent	77	0.30 %	(+ 0.30 %)
	Labour majority	2,861	11.19 %	- 4.18 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency Result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Henry McLeish MP	18,828	57.31 %	- 1.35 %
	Scottish National Party	Tricia Marwick	10,153	30.91 %	+ 5.89 %
	Liberal Democrat	Jane Ann Liston	1,953	5.94 %	- 0.46 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Keith Harding	1,918	5.84 %	- 3.16 %
	Lab gain	Labour majority	8,675	26.40 %	- 7.24 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	15,579	47.43 %
	Scottish National Party	10,531	32.06 %
	Liberal Democrats	2,480	7.55 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	2,264	6.89 %
	Socialist Labour Party	798	2.43 %
	Scottish Green Party	771	2.97 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	327	1.00 %
	Natural Law Party	59	0.18 %
	Pro Life Alliance	39	0.12 %
	Labour majority	5,048	15.37 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Henry McLeish MP	23,912	58.66 %
	Scottish National Party	Tricia Marwick	10,199	25.02 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Jacob Rees-Mogg	3,669	9.00 %
	Liberal Democrat	Ross Laird	2,610	6.40 %
	Referendum	John Scrymgeour-Wedderburn	375	0.92 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	13,713	33.64 %

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