 |
'A survey of voting intentions by the Ipsos MORI organisation revealed a massive swing to the SNP in both the constituency and list sections of the Holyrood voting system. In just three months, Labour has slipped from a 14-point lead over the SNP to being two points behind them. Just 28 per cent of voters said they would back Labour in a Holyrood election compared with 30 per cent who opted for the SNP.' Peter MacMahon in the Scotsman 1 st July 2006. |
 |
 |
1. Alex Salmond MP (Also standing in Gordon constituency) |
 |
| Scottish National Party | ||
| Alex Salmond was born in Linlithgow on 31 December 1954. He was educated at Linlithgow Academy and St Andrews University, where he graduated with a Master of Arts (MA), with joint honours in Economics and History. Alex was first employed through the Government Economic Service (GES) as an Assistant Economist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. In 1980, Alex joined the Royal Bank of Scotland, for whom he worked for seven years, first as an Assistant Economist, then as the Oil Economist and latterly as Royal Bank Economist. While with the Royal Bank, Alex wrote and broadcast extensively for both domestic and international outlets. He also contributed regularly to oil and energy conferences, devising, in 1983, the 'Royal Bank / BBC Oil Index' which continues monthly publication to this day. Alex was first elected as Member of Parliament for Banff and Buchan in the 1987 General Election and more than doubled his majority in 1992. In the 1997 election, Alex more than trebled his majority, which at 12,845 is the highest ever achieved by an SNP MP. At the 2001 election, he again had a 5-figure majority. Alex was elected leader of the SNP in 1990, since when the SNP has emerged as the second party in Scotland, winning just under 30% of the vote and 35 MSPs in the first Scottish Parliament in the election of 1999. Alex served as Leader of the Opposition and Shadow First Minister in the Scots Parliament before standing down as Party Leader in September 2000, with his party on a historic high in the opinion polls. Although he stood down from the Scottish Parliament in 2001, he remained an MP at Westminster, and, after the leadership contest of 2004 returned as SNP leader with 75% of the vote. In addition to the more orthodox political media appearances in such programmes as "Question Time" and "Any Questions", Alex has always been prepared to engage in the lighter side of politics, apearing regularly on "Have I got News for You", "Call My Bluff", and "Clive Anderson Talks Back". In 1998, Alex won the Spectator Award for Political strategist of the Year. Throughout his time in politics, Alex has maintained a strong interest in the racing industry, writing a weekly column for the Scotsman newspaper and appearing a number of times on Channel 4's "The Morning Line". Shadow Ministerial Posts Shadow First Minister May 1999 - September 2000 Party Posts SNP leader September 1990 - September 2000 SNP leader September 2004 - Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 19,044 votes (51.17 %) (elected) 2001 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 16,710 votes (54.24 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Banff & Buchan, 16,695 votes (52.61 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, First on SNP North East Scotland list, 92,329 votes (32.35 %) 1997 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 22,409 votes (55.77 %) (elected) 1992 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 21,954 votes (47.53 %) (elected) 1987 Westminster election, Banff & Buchan, 19,462 votes (44.26 %) (elected) | ||
 |
2. Brian Adam MSP (Also standing in Aberdeen North constituency) |
|
| Scottish National Party | ||
| Brian Adam was born on the 10 th June 1948 in Newmill and was educated at Keith Grammar School and Aberdeen University
where he graduated with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and an M.Sc. in Clinical Pharmacology. From 1970 until 1973 he worked as a Section leader for QA Laboratory Glaxo in Montrose, from 1973 until 1988 as a Biochemist then Senior biochemist at Aberdeen City Hospital and from 1988 until his election in 1999 as a Senior and then Principal biochemist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was an Aberdeen District Councillor from 1988 until 1996 and an Aberdeen City Councillor from 1995 until his election. In 1999 he contested Aberdeen North, reducing the Labour majority from 10,000 at the 1997 Westminster election to just 398. He was elected as the second North East Scotland regional MSP in 1999 and went on to win Aberdeen North from Labour in 2003. He is married with five children. In the parliament he is Convener of the Standards and Public Appointments Committee. Shadow Ministerial Posts May 1999 - September 2000 - Deputy Whip September 2000 - April 2003 - Deputy Business Manager & Deputy Chief Whip May 2003 - September 2004 - Shadow Deputy Minister for Education & Lifelong Learning September 2004 - Shadow Deputy Minister for Tourism Parliamentary Posts June 2003 - Convener of the Standards Committee Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Aberdeen North, 8,381 votes (33.49 %) (elected) 2003 Scottish parliament election, Second on SNP North East Scotland list, 66,463 votes (27.28 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Aberdeen North, 9,942 votes (35.74 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Third on SNP North East Scotland list, 92,329 votes (32.35 %) (elected) 1997 Westminster election, Aberdeen North, 8,379 votes (21.81 %) 1995 Aberdeen City Council election, Middlefield & Heathryfold, 834 votes (69.67 %) (elected) 1992 Aberdeen District Council election, Middlefield, 560 votes (77.78 %) (elected) 1988 Aberdeen District Council election, Middlefield, (elected) | ||
 |
3. Maureen Watt MSP (Also standing in Aberdeen South constituency) |
|
| Scottish National Party | ||
| Maureen was born in Aberdeen, brought up in Keith, and gained an Honours Degree in Politics at Strathclyde and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Birmingham. After teaching in Berkshire she joined an international oil drilling company in Aberdeen as Personnel Manager. Maureen has served on Aberdeen Prison Visiting Committee, been Rectors Assessor at Aberdeen University, a Community Business board member, and a Grampian Region Councillor. Maureen was also a member of the Macintosh Commission and Kerley Committee into the reform of local government and is currently an Independent Assessor of Public Appointments. She is the daughter of Hamish Watt, the SNP MP for Banff between 1974 and 1979 and joined the SNP at the age of 21. She fought Aberdeen North in 1979, Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine in 1999 and Aberdeen South in 2003. She was sworne in as a North East MSP on the 19 th April 2006, replacing Richard Lochhead who had resigned to fight the Moray by-election following the death of Margaret Ewing. She made history as the first MSP to take the oath of allegiance in Doric. In the parliament she is a Member of the Local Government and Transport Committee and aÊSubstitute Member of the Subordinate Legislation Committee. Shadow Ministerial positions Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Aberdeen South, 4,315 votes (14.32 %) 2003 Scottish parliament election, Sixth on SNP Mid Scotland & Fife list, 57,631 votes (23.04 %) (replaced Richard Lochhead on 19/4/2006) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine, 7,699 votes (21.54 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Eighth on SNP Mid Scotland & Fife list, 87,659 votes (28.68 %) 1979 Westminster parliament election, Aberdeen North, 5,796 votes (12.8 %) | ||
 |
4. Cllr Nigel Don (Not standing in a constituency) |
|
| Scottish National Party | ||
| Nigel Don is the Councillor for Ninewells Ward on Dundee City Council. He is the SNP Group Convener on the council and also Shadow Planning & Transport Convener, Shadow DSO Convener, Depute Shadow Finance Convener and a Member of the Licensing Board. He sits on the Tay Bridge Board and says 'The SNP supports the idea the Tay Road Bridge should be toll free. We were delighted when the Skye Bridge toll was removed and believe the Tay toll is also a barrier to economic development.' Recent electoral experience 2003 Dundee City Council election, Ninewells, 709 votes (41.90 %) (elected) 2001 Dundee City Council by-election, Tay Bridges, 144 votes (15.53 %) | ||
 |
5. Cllr Karen Shirron (Also standing in Aberdeen Central constituency) |
|
| Scottish National Party | ||
| Karen joined the SNP in 1992 and has held various office bearer positions at both branch and Constituency level. She was elected to Aberdeen City Council in 1999 beating the sitting Labour councillor by 7 votes. She was re-elected in 2003 with an increased majority of 336 and is currently deputy leader of the SNP council group. Karen also works for Brian Adam SNP MSP for Aberdeen North as a parliamentary assistant. She has been active in every campaign since joining the party and her most memorable day to date is the Aberdeen North victory in 2003. Karen has a MA Joint Hons in History-Celtic Civilisation and a Post Graduate Diploma in Information Analysis. She has three daughters, the youngest of whom is 16. Her interests include reading, when she has the time, Scottish history, walking her dogs, equality and diversity issues and furthering the cause of Scottish independence at every available opportunity.
Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross, 3,686 votes (13.32 %) 2003 Aberdeen City Council election, Springhill, 875 votes (55.49 %) (elected) 1999 Aberdeen City Council election, Springhill, 805 votes (45.43 %) (elected) | ||
 |
6. Dennis Robertson (Also standing in Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine constituency) |
|
| Scottish National Party | ||
| Dennis was born in Aberdeen and live in the Constituency with my wife Ann, two teenage daughters and guide dog Woody. He is currently work for a leading charity in Aberdeen. He is a long standing member of the SNP and in the past stood as a Local Government Candidate in North Tayside. From an early age Dennis has been passionate about his Scottish identity and proud to live in a country that embraces many peoples and cultures from around the world and recognises Scotland as an inclusive society giving opportunities to all its citizens. He is of the confirmed opinion that Independence is not just inspirational but a fundamental right of any Nation aspiring to take its rightful place in the world and responsibility for its own future. As a result of the Union, and to Scotland's detriment, we have for successive generations witnessed the stifling of our economic growth and development. The rape of our natural resources and migration of talented peoples must be brought to an end. It is time for Scotland to become an independent nation taking its rightful place at the top table in Europe and the rest of the World. Recent electoral experience 2003 Angus Council election, Kirriemuir West 590 votes (31.42 %) | ||
Return to home page