Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Crime and fear of crime are a major problem for Scots today. Overall, since New Labour came to power in 1997, crime has increased. Serious assault has risen by 16%, other violent crime has risen by 37%, crimes involving offensive weapons have risen by 30%, and robbery, car theft, shoplifting and fraud have all increased.' Roseanna Cunningham MSP, 6 th February 2001.

Perth (Mid Scotland & Fife Region)

Candidates

	Cllr Peter Barrett (Also number 3 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Cllr Peter Barrett has been Cllr for Barnhill & West Carse on Perth & Kinross Council since 2003 when he beat the sitting Tory Cllr Heather Stewart by 27 votes. He is a member of the following Council committees: Audit Sub-Committee, Corporate Health & Safety (Vice-convener), Environment, Housing & Health (Vice-convener) and Standards & Scrutiny. Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Fourth on Lib Dem Mid Scotland & Fife list, 30,112 votes (12.04 %) 2003 Perth & Kinross Council election, BarnhillÊ& West Carse, 724 votes (43.93 %) (elected)
	Roseanna Cunningham MSP (Also number 3 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Scottish National Party
	Roseanna Cunningham was born on the 27 th of July 1951 in Glasgow and educated at John Curtin High School in Freemantle, Western Australia, the Western Australia University where she graduated with a BA (Hons) in Politics and Edinburgh University where she graduated with an LLB in 1982. From 1977 to 1979 she worked as an SNP Researcher, from 1983 to 1986 as a Solicitor with Dumbarton District Council and from 1986 to 1989 as a Solicitor with Glasgow District Council. From 1989 to 1990 she was a Solicitor in Private Practice. She became an Advocate in December 1990 and is still a member of the Faculty of Advocates. She contested Haymarket/Tollcross in the 1982 Lothian Regional Council elections, standing against a young Alistair Darling who won the seat. Roseanna has represented Perth since winning the seat in a Westminster by-election in 1995, being a dual mandate MP/MSP until 2001. She was the SNP's Deputy Leader from September 2000 until September 2004 when she stood for the leadership, polling 953 votes (14.6 %) compared to 4,952 votes (75.8 %) for Alex Salmond and 631 votes (9.7 %) for Michael Russel. She is Shadow Environment & Rural Affairs Minister is on the SNP's Cabinet. She is also member of the Parliament's Environment & Rural Affairs Committee. In the Scottish Parliament, Roseanna has been Convener of the Justice Committee and held the Justice portfolio for the SNP. Her interests outside politics include traditional music, reading, and hill walking. Shadow Ministerial positions May 1999 - September 2000 - Shadow Minister for Justice, Equality & Land Reform September 2000 - April 2003 - Deputy Leader of the Scottish Opposition & Shadow Minister for Justice, Equality & Land Reform May 2003 - September 2004 - Deputy Leader of the Scottish Opposition & Shadow Minister for Environment & Rural Affairs Parliamentary positions September 2004 - Convener of the Health Committee May 1999 - September 2000 - Convener of the Justice Committee Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Perth, 10,717 votes (33.90 %) (elected) 2003 Scottish parliament election, First on SNP Mid Scotland & Fife list, 57,631 votes (23.04 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Perth, 13,570 votes (36.29 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish parliament election, First on SNP Mid Scotland & Fife list, 87,659 votes (28.68 %) 1997 Westminster parliament election, Perth, 16,209 votes (36.38 %) (elected) 1995 Westminster parliament by-election, Perth & Kinross, 16,931 votes (40.36 %) (elected) 1992 Westminster parliament election, Perth & Kinross, 18,101 votes (36.00 %) 1982 Lothian Regional Council election, Haymarket/Tollcross 308 votes (6.91 %)
	Jim Fairlie (Also number 1 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Free Scotland Party
	Jim Fairlie is 66, married with 5 grown up children. He is a Financial Services Advisor working in Perth and Crieff. Joined the SNP in 1955 aged 15 and was elected on to the SNP National Executive Committee (NEC) in early 1970's, served continuously on SNP NEC until he resigned SNP membership in 1990 over Independence in Europe slogan. He was SNP Deputy Leader and Senior Vice Chairman for 1980 to 1984. He was SNP spokesman for housing, economics, social services and other issues at various times and was Vice Chairman for policy for 1979 to 1980. He was the first SNP candidate to stand in local government elections in the constituency in 1966. He has held every branch and constituency office at some time. He is a founder member of Perth & East Perthshire CA, the only constituency where the SNP have contested every single general and by-election since 1945. Among his hobbies horse riding, hill walking, reading, Tartan Army, former paper columnist (eg 'Fairlie Frankly' in the Scots Independent). He is currently Media Liaison Officer for the Free Scotland Party. Recent electoral experience As a Scottish National Party candidate: 1987 Westminster Parliament election, Perth & Kinross, 13,040 votes (27.62 %) 1983 Westminster Parliament election, Dunfermline West, 2,798 votes (7.76 %) 1979 Westminster Parliament election, Dundee West, October 1974 Westminster Parliament election, Dundee West, February 1974 Westminster Parliament election, Dundee West,
	Doug Maughan (Not standing on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Labour
	Doug Maughan was brought up in Aberdeen and educated at Aberdeen University where he graduated with a BSC in Chemistry and Stirling University where he graduated with a BA in Business Studies, Economics & Law. He currents works for British Airways as a pilot flying 777s. When Dr Sam Galbraith retired in 2001, Doug Mauham narrowly lost out being selected as Labour candidate for the Westminster seats of East Dunbartonshire to John Lyons. After allegations of ballot rigging the contest was re-run with Lyons the clear winner. In 2005 he contested Perth & Perthshire North coming third. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Perth & Perthshire North, 8,601 votes (18.73 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Fourth on Labour Mid Scotland amp; Fife list, 101,964 votes (33.36 %)
	Elizabeth Smith (Also number 2 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Elizabeth Smith was secretary to the Scottish Conservative Policy Forum until 2003. She trained as a teacher and was the Scottish Conservative Spokesperson on Education. She is a past Edinburgh City councillor - presumably pre- 1994. She came second in Edinburgh South in 1997, was within 48 votes of winning Perth in 2001 but fell back to third place in Ochil & South Perthshire in 2005. Recent electoral experience. 2005 Westminster election, Ochil & South Perthshire, 10,021 votes (21.46 %) 2001 Westminster election, Perth, 11,189 votes (29.59 %) 1997 Westminster election, Edinburgh South, 9,541 votes (21.28 %) Edinburgh City councillor.

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Conservative hit list: 1 (3 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 1.15 % from Scottish National Party to Conservative

Rank on Labour hit list: 11 (5 in 2003)
Swing required for Labour gain: 8.05 % from Scottish National Party to Labour

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 10 (11 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 11.37 % from Scottish National Party to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 61,672 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Perth & North Perthshire: 37,552 (60.9 %)
Ochil & South Perthshire: 24,120 (39.1 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 61,614 (Reported as 61,957 in the press). Turnout 31,614, 51.31 % (- 9.97 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Scottish National Party	Roseanna Cunningham MSP	10,717	33.90 %	- 2.39 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Alexander Stewart	9,990	31.60 %	+ 0.73 %
	Labour	Robert Ball	5,629	17.81 %	- 5.52 %
	Liberal Democrat	Gordon Campbell	3,530	11.17 %	+ 1.66 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Philip Stott	982	3.11 %	(+ 3.11 %)
	Independent	Thomas Burns	509	1.61 %	(+ 1.61 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	Kenneth Buchanan	257	0.81 %	(+ 0.81 %)
	Scottish National Party hold	Scottish National Party majority	727	2.30 %	- 3.12 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 61,614. Turnout 31,773, 51.57 % 191 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Conservative & Unionist	8,574	27.14 %	- 1.27 %
	Scottish National Party	7,896	25.00 %	- 4.58 %
	Labour	5,081	16.09 %	- 8.59 %
	Liberal Democrats	3,493	11.06 %	- 0.08 %
	Scottish Green Party	2,466	7.81 %	+ 3.72 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,271	4.02 %	+ 3.32 %
	Save Local Hospitals - Dunfermline, Perth, Stirling	754	2.39 %	(+ 2.39 %)
	Pensioners's Party	737	2.33 %	(+ 2.33 %)
	Fighting Hospital Closures & Downgrading	300	0.95 %	(+ 0.95 %)
	UK Independence Party	261	0.83 %	(+ 0.83 %)
	Socialist Labour Party	225	0.71 %	- 0.33 %
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	183	0.58 %	(+ 0.58 %)
	Tom Gray, Independent	156	0.49 %	(+ 0.49 %)
	Christian Independent Alliance Upholding Community Values	138	0.44 %	(+ 0.44 %)
	Damien Quigg, Independent	47	0.15 %	(+ 0.15 %)
	Conservative & Unionist	678	2.15 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency Result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Scottish National Party	Roseanna Cunningham MP	13,570	36.29 %	- 0.09 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Ian Stevenson	11,543	30.87 %	+ 1.54 %
	Labour	Jillian Richards	8,725	23.33 %	- 1.44 %
	Liberal Democrat	Charles Brodie	3,558	9.51 %	+ 1.47 %
	Scottish National Party win	Scottish National Party majority	2,027	5.42 %	- 1.63 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Scottish National Party	11,069	29.58 %
	Conservative & Unionist	10,632	28.41 %
	Labour	9,236	24.68 %
	Liberal Democrats	4,167	11.14 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,531	4.09 %
	Socialist Labour Party	389	1.04 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	263	0.70 %
	Pro Life Alliance	82	0.22 %
	Natural Law Party	53	0.14 %
	Scottish National Party majority	437	1.17 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Scottish National Party	Roseanna Cunningham MP	16,209	36.38 %
	Conservative & Unionist	John Godfrey	13,068	29.33 %
	Labour	Douglas Alexander	11,036	24.77 %
	Liberal Democrat	Charles Brodie	3,583	8.04 %
	Referendum	Robert MacAuley	366	0.82 %
	UK Independence	Matthew Henderson	289	0.65 %
	SNP hold (notional Scottish National Party gain from Conservative)	Scottish National Party majority	3,141	7.05 %

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