Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The Sunday Herald 100 end-of-year poll shows 64.3 % believe George Bush to be a bigger threat to world peace than Saddam Hussein, and 72.6 % think Britain would be wrong to join the USA in attacking Iraq.' Jenifer Johnston in the Sunday Herald, 29 th December 2002.

Aberdeen North (North East Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Brian Adam MSP (Also number 2 on North East Scotland list)
	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)
	Carol Garvie (Also number 7 on North East Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Carol Garvie is 46 years old and runs her own law firm. She is married with three children. Recent electoral experience.
	7. Cllr Steve Delaney (Also number 6 on North East Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Steve Delaney was born in Aberdeen in 1961 and has lived there all his life. He was educated at Northfield Academy, Aberdeen and left with four highers. Steve ran his own business prior to entering politics. He has been married to Eileen for 14 years and they are expecting their first child this summer. Eileen has recently qualified as a staff nurse, having previously worked for 13 years as an auxiliary. He is father, step-father and grandfather as a result of a previous marriage and he considers his family to be key to his recent electoral successes. Steve was elected to Aberdeen City Council in 2002, winning the Langstane by election from Labour who were pushed into third place. He was re-elected in 2003 with an increased majority. He is presently Vice-Convener of Planning, Chair of the Council's Lib Dem Group, Vice-Chair of Victim Support Aberdeen, Vice-Chair of Grampian Housing Association and holds a number of other positions on various voluntary and community based organisations. He likes to get out and about meeting folk. He says he is a "weel kent face" at Community Councils, residents' associations and other community groups. Steve Delaney was a founder member of the SDP prior to its merger with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats. He contested Aberdeen North at the last General Election, coming second. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster Parliament election, Aberdeen North, 8,762 votes (23.93 %) 2003 Aberdeen City Council election, Langstane, 631 votes (61.20 %) (elected) 2002 Aberdeen City Council By-election, Langstane, 281 votes (40.20 %) (elected)
	Elaine Thomson Not standing on North East Scotland list)
	Labour
	Elaine Thomson was born in Inverness in 1957. She was educated at Aberdden High School for Girls and Aberdeen University where she graduated with a BSC in Pure Science. She worked as a computer scientist in the petrochemical industry and for an Information Technology company from 1995 until her election as MSP for Aberdeen North in 1999. She lost the seat in 2003 when she was beaten by the SNP's Brian Adam. Ministerial positions None Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Aberdeen North, 7,924 votes (31.66 %) (defeated) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Aberdeen North, 10,340 votes (37.17 %) (elected) 1995 Aberdeen City Council election, Ashley, 307 votes (24.35 %) 1994 Grampian Regional Council election, Balgownie, 701 votes (26.34 %)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Labour hit list: 5 (- in 2003)
Swing required for Labour gain: 0.92 % from Scottish National Party to Labour

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 3 (5 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 5.23 % from Scottish National Party to Liberal Democrat

Rank on Conservative hit list: 24 (27 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 12.13 % from Scottish National Party to Conservative

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 53,457 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Aberdeen North 29,255 (54.7 %)
Gordon 24,155 (45.2 %)
Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine 47 (0.1 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 52,898. Turnout 25,027, 47.31 % (- 3.69 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Scottish National Party	Brian Adam MSP	8,381	33.49 %	- 2.25 %
	Labour	Elaine Thomson MSP	7,924	31.66 %	- 5.51 %
	Liberal Democrat	John Reynolds	5,767	23.04 %	+ 5.91 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Jim Gifford	2,311	9.23 %	- 0.73 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Katrine Trolle	644	2.57 %	(+ 2.57 %)
	Scottish National Party gain from Labour	Scotttish National Party majority	457	1.83 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 52,898. Turnout 24,986, 47.23 % 126 rejected papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Scottish National Party	7,632	30.55 %	- 3.76 %
	Labour	7,018	28.09 %	- 6.01 %
	Liberal Democrats	5,174	20.71 %	+ 4.97 %
	Conservative & Unionist	2,377	9.51 %	- 0.63 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	784	3.14 %	+ 1.22 %
	Scottish Green Party	780	3.12 %	+ 1.10 %
	Pensioners's Party	443	1.77 %	(+ 1.77 %)
	The Fishing Party	267	1.07 %	(+ 1.07 %)
	Socialist Labour Party	316	1.26 %	- 0.66 %
	UK Independence Party	91	0.36 %	(+ 0.36 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	65	0.26 %	(+ 0.26 %)
	Steven Mathers (Independent)	39	0.16 %	(+ 0.16 %)
	Scottish National Party majority	614	2.46 %	+ 2.25 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Elaine Thomson	10,340	37.17 %	- 10.70 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Brian Adam	9,942	35.74 %	+ 13.93 %
	Liberal Democrat	Jim Donaldson	4,767	17.13 %	+ 3.02 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Iain Haughie	2,772	9.96 %	- 5.04 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	398	1.43 %	- 24.63 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Scottish National Party	9,547	34.31 %
	Labour	9,489	34.10 %
	Liberal Democrats	4,380	15.74 %
	Conservative & Unionist	2,822	10.14 %
	Scottish Green Party	561	2.02 %
	Socialist Labour Party	533	1.92 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	224	0.81 %
	Sleaze Buster	110	0.40 %
	Hamish Watt	91	0.33 %
	Natural Law Party	69	0.25 %
	Scottish National Party majority	58	0.21 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Malcolm K. Savidge	18,389	47.87 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Brian Adam	8,379	21.81 %
	Conservative & Unionist	James Gifford	5,763	15.00 %
	Liberal Democrat	Michael Rumbles	5,421	14.11 %
	Referendum	Alistair McKenzie	463	1.21%
	Labour win	Labour majority	10,010	26.06 %

Links

• Brian Adam MSP (Scottish National Party)