Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Mr Clyne (Labour Councillor for Kincorth for 26 years) claimed that Len Ironside was too distracted with his day job to provide Labour's councillors with effective leadership. And he praised the SNP's group leader Kevin Stewart for providing the most effective opposition to the Liberal Democrat/Tory administration since 2003.' Simon Johnson in the Evening Express, 8 th July 2006.

Aberdeen Central (North East Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Andrew Jones (Also number 9 on North East Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Andrew Jones worked for the BBC as Head of North until 2006 when he was appointed a Senior lecturer in Journalism and Broadcasting at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. He is a community Councillor and a keen Scouter. Recent electoral experience.
	Dr Lewis Macdonald MSP (Not standing on North East Scotland list)
	Labour
	Lewis MacDonald was born in Stornoway on the 1 st January 1957. He moved to Aberdeenshire in 1967 and was educated at Inverurie Academy and Aberdeen University where he obtained a MA in History and a PhD in African Studies, dealing with malnutrition and the Nigerian civil war. From 1987 until 1992 he was Parliamentary researcher for Frank Doran MP for Aberdeen South. After Doran lost his seat to the Tories at the 1992 election, Dr Macdonald worked as a History Lecturer at Aberdeen University until 1993 when he became Shadow Cabinet Adviser to Tom Clarke, the MP for Monklands West. When Frank Doran won the newly created Aberdeen Central seat in 1997, Macdonald returned to work with him a a parliamentary researcher until his election as an MSP in 1999. He was convener of the Holyrood Progress Group before being appointed as a Deputy Minister in March 2001. He is married with two children and is a member of Amicus a patron of the Dons' Supporters Trust. His wife Sandra worked for the oil company Marathon and became Chair of the Scottish Labour Party in 2005. Ministerial positions March 2001 - November 2001 - Deputy Minister for Transport & Planning November 2001 - April 2003 - Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport & Lifelong Learning May 2003 - October 2004 - Deputy Minister for Enterprise, & Lifelong Learning October 2004 - June 2005 - Deputy Minister for Environment & Rural Development June 2005 - Deputy Minister for Health & Community Care Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Aberdeen Central, 6,835 votes (32.60 %) (elected) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Aberdeen Central, 10,305 votes (38.89 %) (elected) 1997 Westminster Parliament election, Moray, 7,886 votes (19.83 %)
	Cllr Karen Shirron (Also number 5 on North East Scotland list)
	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) 1995 Aberdeen City Council election, Muirfield, 252 votes (18.52 %) (elected) 1994 Regional Council election, Brimmond, 348 votes (11.30 %)
	Cllr John Stewart (Also number 4 on North East Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	John Stewart is 34 years old and was eduvated at Kilmarnock Academy and the university of Aberdeen. He was elected to Aberdeen City Council in 2003, overtaking Labour and the SNP to win the Berryden ward from third place. John is deputy leader of the Council's ruling Liberal Democrat group. He is Vice Convener of the Education and Leisure Committee and speaks for the council on sport, culture and the arts. John works as a part-time office manager and has twice been a successful agent for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Sir Robert Smith. He is a member of the University of Aberdeen courtand Grampian Joint Police Board. He is also a Director of Aberdeen Performing Arts, Enterprise North East Trust, The Equality Network, The Lemon Tree, Pride in Aberdeen, SCARF (Save Cash and Reduce Fuel) and Satrosphere science centre. In December 2005, he and his partner, Neil, were the first couple in Aberdeen to register a Civil Partnership, and the second in Scotland. Council positions Deputy Leader of Aberdeen Council Recent electoral experience 2003 Aberdeen Council election, Berryden, 491 votes (36.45 %) (elected)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 8 (11 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 2.96 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 2 (7 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 4.99 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Rank on Conservative hit list: 19 (24 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 10.06 % from Labour to Conservative

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 50,409 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Aberdeen North: 39,639 (78.6 %)
Aberdeen South: 10,770 (21.4 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 49,477. Turnout 20,964, 42.37 % (- 7.87 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Dr Lewis Macdonald MSP	6,835	32.60 %	- 6.29 %
	Scottish National Party	Richard Lochhead MSP	5,593	26.68 %	- 2.04 %
	Liberal Democrat	Dr Eleanor Anderson	4,744	22.63 %	+ 6.01 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Alan Butler	2,616	12.48 %	- 1.32 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Andy Cumbers	1,176	5.61 %	+ 3.64 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	1,242	5.92 %	- 4.26 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 49,477. Turnout 20,957, 42.35 % 136 rejected papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	5,576	26.61 %	- 4.47 %
	Scottish National Party	4,738	22.61 %	- 6.27 %
	Liberal Democrats	4,047	19.31 %	+ 2.91 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	2,638	12.59 %	- 1.97 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,560	7.30 %	+ 2.70 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,270	6.06 %	+ 4.32 %
	Pensioners's Party	370	1.77 %	(+ 1.77 %)
	The Fishing Party	291	1.39 %	(+ 1.39 %)
	Socialist Labour Party	264	1.26 %	- 0.48 %
	UK Independence Party	92	0.44 %	(+ 0.44 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	63	0.30 %	(+ 0.30 %)
	Steven Mathers (Independent)	48	0.23 %	(+ 0.23 %)
	Labour majority	838	4.00 %	+ 1.57 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Dr Lewis Macdonald	10,305	38.89 %	- 10.93 %
	Scottish National Party	Richard Lochhead	7,609	28.72 %	+ 12.53 %
	Liberal Democrat	Dr Eleanor Anderson	4,403	16.62 %	+ 3.38 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Tom Mason	3,655	13.80 %	- 5.70 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Andrew Cumbers	523	1.97 %	+ 1.97 %
	Lab win	Labour majority	2,696	10.17 %	- 20.15 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	8,325	31.31 %
	Scottish National Party	7,680	28.88 %
	Liberal Democrats	4,360	16.40 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	3,872	14.56 %
	Scottish Green Party	1222	4.60 %
	Socialist Labour Party	463	1.74 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	373	1.40 %
	Sleaze Buster	107	0.40 %
	Natural Law Party	101	0.38 %
	Hamish Watt	88	0.33 %
	Labour majority	645	2.43 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Frank Doran	17,745	49.82 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Jill Wisely	6,944	19.50 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Brian Toppin	5,767	16.19 %
	Liberal Democrat	John Brown	4,714	13.24 %
	Referendum	James Farquharson	446	1.25 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	10,801	30.32 %

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