Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The Chancellor may use social democratic rhetoric now and again, such as at Scottish Labour conferences, but he has been one of the most right-wing chancellors since the Second World War. Brown has thrown open markets, let foreign interests buy British firms en masse, let the housing market explode, allowed income inequality to rocket. The rich have become richer under Brown than they ever were under the Tories.' Iain MacWhirter in the Herald, 6 th September 2006.

Stirling (Mid Scotland & Fife Region)

Candidates

	1. Alex Cole-Hamilton (Also number 1 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Alex Cole-Hamilton was educated at Madras College. He was president of Aberdeen University Students' representative council then worked for West Edinburgh Liberal Democrats, participating in their 2001 General Election campaign. In September 2001 he became National Communications Officer for the Scottish Liberal Democrats and he is currently Scottish Policy and Communications Officer for the charity Fairbridge. His parents live in Crail. He contested Kirkcaldy in 2003 and 2005 and in 2003 was eighth on the Lib Dem Mid Scotland & Fife list. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster parliament election, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, 5,450 votes (13.04 %) 2003 Scottish parliament election, Kirkcaldy, 2,417 votes (11.02 %) 2003 Scottish parliament election, Eighth on Lib Dem Mid Scotland & Fife list, 30,112 votes (12.04 %)
	Bruce Crawford JP MSP (Also number 2 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Scottish National Party
	Bruce Crawford has been an SNP MSP since 1999, the inception of the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years. Bruce is privileged to have been appointed to the SNP Front Bench in a number of roles and is currently the SNP's Shadow Minister for Parliament. In this role he serves on the Parliamentary Bureau and is also Deputy Convener of the Local Government and Transport Committee. Bruce is a regional Member for Mid Scotland and Fife and has an office in Stirling. Before being elected as an MSP Bruce was lucky to have had a varied career from being a civil servant in The Scottish Office to the leader of Perth and Kinross Council. Bruce has also served on a number of Boards. Bruce is married with three sons and finds his escape from the world of politics in sport. He is a keen football supporter of both Scotland and Dunfermline Athletic FC and likes to play golf. Shadow Ministerial positions September 2004 - Party Business Convenor May 2003 - September 2004 - Business Manager & Chief Whip September 2000 - April 2003 - Shadow Minister for Transport & the Environment May 1999 - September 2000 - Chief Whip Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Stirling, 5,645 votes (19.04 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Second on SNP Mid Scotland & list, 57,631 votes (23.04 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Fifth on SNP Mid Scotland & list, 87,659 votes (28.68 %) (elected) 1999 Perthshire & Kinross Council election, Kinross Town, 1,092 votes (64.31 %) (elected) 1995 Perthshire & Kinross Council election, Kinross Town, 1,486 votes (73.60 %) (elected)
	Bob Dalrymple (Also number 4 on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	It was assumed that Brian Monteith would be reselected as the Tory candidate for Stirling but he resigned from the selection process following the revealation of his part in David McLetchie's resignation as Scottish Tory leader. The new Tory candidate is Bob Dalrymple, who was born in 1975 in Dumfries, and graduated from Edinburgh University in 1997 with an LL.B. In 1996 he won The John Smith Memorial Mace, the British Isles universities debating championship. He currently works in Stirling as a marketer for a well-known brand of whisky. Bob is a member of conservative think-tank The Tuesday Club. Recent electoral experience. None, unless you count being elected president of Edinburgh University Students Association in 1997, which prompted The Scotsman diary to congratulate him on becoming 'the most senior elected Conservative in Scotland'.
	Dr Sylvia Jackson MSP (Not standing on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Labour
	Dr Sylvia Jackson was born in 1946 and educated at Hull University where she graduated with a BSC in Chemistry and a BPhil and at Stirling University where she ontained a PhD in Education. She worked as a Chemistry teacher, as an Education adviser from Lothian Region and Edinburgh Distric Council, as a Research fellow at Stirling University and as an Education lecturer at Edinburgh University. She is widowed with a son and a daughter. In the parliament she is Convener of the cross party group on animal welfare. Ministerial positions None Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliamentary election, Stirling, 10,661 votes (36.0 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliamentary election,Stirling, 13,533 votes (37.8 %) (elected)
	Liz Law (Not standing on Mid Scotland & Fife list)
	Peace Party
	Liz Law is campaiging "to challenge each elector to examine where she or he stands on violence in our society before they vote for Parliaments and Councils in Britain and Europe." The party seeks to: "show love and respect for all life; be people who are caring and who are compassionate to all; value unconditionally every member of our community - in Britain, Europe and the World and be non-violent" Recent electoral experience

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Conservative hit list: 5 (10 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 4.86 % from Labour to Conservative

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 20 (14)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 8.46 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 13 (14 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 12.19 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 53,916 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Stirling: 53,916 (100.0 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 52,087. Turnout 29,647, 56.92 % (- 10.76 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Dr Sylvia Jackson MSP	10,661	35.96 %	- 1.84 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Brian Monteith MSP	7,781	26.25 %	+ 0.67 %
	Scottish National Party	Bruce Crawford MSP	5,645	19.04 %	- 7.64 %
	Liberal Democrat	Canon Kenyon Wright	3,432	11.58 %	+ 2.06 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Margaret Stewart	1,486	5.01 %	(+ 5.01 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	Keith Harding MSP	642	2.17 %	(+ 2.17 %)
	Labour hold	Labour majority	2,880	9.71 %	- 1.41 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 52,087. Turnout 29,806, 57.22 % 160 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	7,424	25.04 %	- 6.86 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	7,095	23.93 %	- 0.81 %
	Scottish National Party	5,130	17.30 %	- 7.53 %
	Scottish Green Party	3,149	10.62 %	+ 5.76 %
	Liberal Democrats	2,794	9.42 %	- 1.47 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,406	4.74 %	+ 3.51 %
	Pensioners's Party	1,246	4.20 %	(+ 4.20 %)
	Save Local Hospitals - Dunfermline, Perth, Stirling	369	1.24 %	(+ 1.24 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	280	0.94 %	(+ 0.94 %)
	Socialist Labour Party	209	0.70 %	- 0.30 %
	UK Independence Party	161	0.54 %	(+ 0.54 %)
	Fighting Hospital Closures & Downgrading	152	0.51 %	(+ 0.51 %)
	Christian Independent Alliance Upholding Community Values	132	0.45 %	(+ 0.45 %)
	Damien Quigg, Independent	54	0.18 %	(+ 0.18 %)
	Tom Gray, Independent	45	0.15 %	(+ 0.15 %)
	Labour majority	329	1.11 %	- 5.96 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency Result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Dr Sylvia Jackson	13,533	37.80 %	- 9.65 %
	Scottish National Party	Annabelle Ewing	9,552	26.68 %	+ 13.29 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Brian Monteith	9,158	25.58 %	- 6.94 %
	Liberal Democratv	Iain Macfarlane	3,407	9.52 %	+ 3.87 %
	Independent	Simon Kilgour	155	0.43 %	+ 0.43 %
	Labour winv	Labour majority	3,981	11.12 %	- 3.81 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	11,434	31.90 %
	Scottish National Party	8,900	24.83 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	8,872	24.74 %
	Liberal Democrats	3,905	10.90 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,741	4.86 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	440	1.23 %
	Socialist Labour Party	357	1.00 %
	Pro Life Alliance	130	0.36 %
	Natural Law Party	62	0.17 %
	Labour majority	2,534	7.07 %</td>

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Anne McGuire	20,382	47.45 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Michael Forsyth MP	13,971	32.52 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Ewan Dow	5,752	13.39 %
	Liberal Democrat	Alistair Tough	2,675	6.23 %
	UK Independence	William McMurdo	154	0.36%
	Value	Elaine Olson	24	0.06 %
	Labour gain from Conservative	Labour majority	6,411	14.93 %

Links

• Stirling Constituency SNP
  
  
• Bob Dalrymple (Tory candidate)
  
  
• Peace Party (Scotland)