Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'There is no doubt now, with the strong showing of the socialists and others, that Scottish Labour will have to stay to the left of London Labour. First Minister McConnell will find his party more often at odds with the more centrist policies of PM Blair.' The American consulate in Scotland, September 2003.

Clydebank & Milngavie (West of Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Ashay Ghai (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Ashay Ghai was born in Glasgow in 1971, the son of East African Asian parents who emigrated to the UK in the 60s. He was educated at Killermont Primary, Boclair Academy Secondary in Bearsden and Edinburgh University. He joined the Lib Dems at the age of 17 and has worked as a House of Commons Researcher, served as Chair of the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats and been a member of the Scottish Party's Executive Committee. As a student, Ashay stood for Edinburgh District Council at the Age of 21 and has twice been a successful agent at local government level. He was Press Officer for Malcolm Bruce's 1999 Party leadership campaign and is also a candidate for East Dunbartonshire Council in the ward of Bearsden North. He is a keen supporter of Scottish cricket and enjoys writing, many sports and pub quizzes in his spare time. Recent electoral experience Edinburgh District Council election
	Des McNulty MSP (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Labour
	Des McNulty was born on the 28 th July 1952 in Stockport and educated at St Bede's in Manchester, York University where he graduated with a BA in Social Sciences, and Glasgow University where he studied politics as a post-graduate. He worked as a Lecturer and then as a Senior lecturer in Sociology at Glasgow College of Technology from 1978 to 1990 and 1990 to 1991 rspectively. He then became Assistant Head of the Social Sciences Department at Glasgow Caledonian University (Formerly Glasgow College of Technology and Glasgow Polytechnic) from 1991 to 1997 and was Head of Strategic Planning at Glasgow Caledonian University from 1997 until his election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. He was a Strathclyde Regional Cllr from 1990 to 1996 and a Glasgow City Cllr from 1995 to 1999. He is married with three sons and is a member of the EIS-ALSCI and the GMB. He has wide-ranging cultural interests in theatre and music, being a member of the board of the Tron Theatre, as well as in architecture and design, stemming from his role in leading Glasgow's International Festival of Architecture and Design in 1999. Parliamentary positions May 1999 - December 2001 - Member of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Ministerial positions November 2002 - May 2003 - Deputy Minister for Social Justice November 2006 - Deputy Minister for Communities Committee Convenorships May 2003 - November 2000 - Convener of the Finance Committee Recent electoral experience 2003 Scotish Parliament election, Clydebank & Milngavie, 10,585 votes (39.92 %) 1999 Scotish Parliament election, Clydebank & Milngavie, 15,105 votes (45.31 %) 1995 City of Clasgow Council election, Summerston, 1,412 votes (67.56 %) (elected) 1994 Strathclyde Regional Council election, Clydebank/Kilpatrick (North), 4,612 votes (55.15 %) (elected) 1994 Strathclyde Regional Council election, Clydebank/Kilpatrick North, 4,581 votes (56.65 %) (elected)
	Gil Paterson (Also number 2 on West of Scotland list)
	Scottish National Party
	Gil Paterson was born in Glasgow in 1942 and educated at Possilpark Secondary School in Glasgow. He worked for Forbes Brothes, Singer and Scottish Gas. He starting his own garage business in 1973 and ran it until his election in 1999. He joined the SNP in 1967 and has worked in all campaigns since. He has held many positions in the Party at all levels from branch to NEC including Vice Convenor Local Government and Vice Convenor Administration. He is a former regional councillor, was by-election candidate in Glasgow Central in 1980, and Westminster candidate in Strathkelvin in 1987. He contested Airdrie & Shotts in the 1999 Scottish Parliamentary Elections and was a Central Scotland Regional MSP for 1999 until 2003. In the 1999 parliament he was of the PLocal Government and Procedure Committees and Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Men's Violence against Women. He has two children and three grandchildren and is the owner of a very successful national company established in 1973. He enjoys reading, climbing, skiing, and snowboarding. Shadow Ministerial Posts None Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish parliament election, Airdrie & Shotts, 5,232 votes (20.86 %) 2003 Scottish parliament election, Fourth on SNP Central Scotland list, 59,274 votes (22.53 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Airdrie & Shotts, 9,353 votes (28.16 %) 1999 Scottish parliament election, Fourth on SNP Central Scotland list, 91,802 votes (27.78 %) (elected) 1987 Westminster by-election, Strathkelvin & Bearsen, 3,654 votes (7.1 %) 1980 Westminster by-election, Glasgow Central, 2,122 votes (26.3 %) former Regional Councillor
	Murray Roxburgh (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Murray Roxburgh is 37 and is a consultant with The Sports Charity, Pendragon Sports Services. He has been involved with job creation in the West of Scotland and has helped start up several major new companies. He is an avid rugby fan and coaches the game with schools and clubs in the West of Scotland. His other interests include all sports, music and travel. Recent electoral experience. 2005 Westminster Parliament election, Glasgow North West, 3,262 votes (9.58 %) 2001 Westminster Parliament election, Strathkelvin & Bearsden, 6,635 votes (15.99 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow Springburn, 1,293 votes (5.31 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Ninth on Tory Glasgow list, 20,239 votes (7.90 %)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 22 (25 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 8.55 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 20 (20 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 13.88 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Rank on Conservative hit list: 37 (38 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 14.52 % from Labour to Conservative

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 52,533 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Dunbartonshire West 35,186 (67.0 %)
Dunbartonshire East 17,347 (33.0 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 51,327. Turnout 26,514, 51.66 % (- 11.89 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Des McNulty MSP	10,585	39.92 %	- 5.39 %
	Scottish National Party	James Yuill	6,051	22.82 %	- 8.36 %
	Liberal Democrat	Rod Ackland	3,224	12.16 %	- 0.29 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Mary Leishman	2,885	10.88 %	- 0.18 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Dawn Brennan	1,902	7.17 %	(+ 7.17 %)
	Independent	Cllr Danny McCafferty	1,867	7.04 %	(+ 7.04 %)
	Labour hold	Labour majority	4,534	17.10 %	+ 2.97 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 51,327. Turnout 26,510, 51.65 % 238 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	9,398	35.45 %	- 4.74 %
	Scottish National Party	5,333	20.12 %	- 7.36 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,028	11.42 %	- 0.31 %
	Liberal Democrats	2,977	11.23 %	+ 0.32 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	2,190	8.26 %	+ 5.77 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,660	6.26 %	+ 3.36 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	661	2.49 %	(+ 2.49 %)
	Socialist Labour Party	555	2.09 %	+ 0.27 %
	Pro-Life Party	304	1.15 %	+ 0.36 %
	UK Independence Party	249	0.94 %	(+ 0.94 %)
	Scottish Unionist Party	110	0.42 %	+ 0.05 %
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	45	0.17 %	(+ 0.17 %)
	Labour majority	4,065	15.33 %	+ 2.62 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Cllr Des McNulty	15,105	45.31 %	- 9.91 %
	Scottish National Party	James Yuill	10,395	31.18 %	+ 10.04 %
	Liberal Democrat	Rod Ackland	4,149	12.45 %	+ 2.00 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Dorothy Luckhurst	3,688	11.06 %	- 1.44 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	4,710	14.13 %	- 19.95 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	13,395	40.19 %
	Scottish National Party	9,160	27.48 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,902	11.73 %
	Liberal Democrats	3,635	10.91 %
	Scottish Green Party	967	2.90 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	829	2.49 %
	Socialist Labour Party	605	1.82 %
	Canon Kenyon Wright	332	1.00 %
	Pro Life Alliance	264	0.79 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	122	0.37 %
	Independent Labour Keep Scotland's Water Public	66	0.20 %
	Natural Law Party	56	0.17 %
	Labour majority	4,235	12.71 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Anthony Worthington MP	21,583	55.22 %
	Scottish National Party	Jim Yuill	8,263	21.14 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Nancy Morgan	4,885	12.50 %
	Liberal Democrat	Keith Moody	4,086	10.45%
	Referendum	Ian Sanderson	269	0.69%
	Labour hold	Labour majority	13,320	34.08%

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