Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'I think the problem with John Prescott now is that he really is seen as a bit of a figure of fun out there with the public. It doesn't really matter now what the issue is and what the denial is, the public don't really believe it.' Former Labour minister, Kate Hoey MP, 5 th July 2006.

Paisley North (West of Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Wendy Alexander MSP (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Labour
	Wendy Alexander was born on the 27 th June 1963 in Glasgow and was educated at Park Mains High School in Erskine, Lester B, Pearson College in Canada, Glasgow University where she graduated with an MA(Hons), Warwick University where she graduated with an MA(Econ) and INSEAD Business School in France where she obtained a MBA. She was George Galloway's Parliamentary assistant from 1987 to 1988 and was also the Editor of Ledis. From 1988 to 1992 she was a Research Officer for the Scottish Labour Party and from 1994 to 1997 a Management Consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton. After labour's election victory in 1997, Donald Dewar, who was a family frened, made her a one of his Special Advisors. She was seen to be Dewar's favoured successor but supported Henry McLeish following Dewar's death in October 2000. After McLeish's resignation in November 2001, she put her name forward for leader but then withdrew, eventually resigning from the Executive in May 2002. Since 2002 she has worked as a Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde. Her brother, Douglas is currrently Secretary of State for Scotland. Wendy Alexander is is married to Professor Brian Ashcroft and has two children. Away from politics she is a keen, if amateur, ornithologist, regarding the peace and quiet as a perfect tonic to the political world. Ministerial Positions May 1999 - October 2000 - Minister for Social Inclusion, Local Government & Housing October 2000 - November 2001 - Minister for Enterprise & Lifelong Learning November 2001 - 3 rd May 2002 - Minister for Enterprise, Transport & Lifelong Learning Committee Convenorships Convenor of the Finance Committee Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, 10,631 votes (47.87 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, 13,492 votes (48.62 %) (elected)
	Andrew Doig (Also number 8 on West of Scotland list)
	Scottish National Party
	Andrew lives in Renfrewshire with his wife Audrey, and 9 year old son, Iain, and currently works locally counselling people with addiction problems. Formerly he has worked in rehab services for people with epilepsy and also as a local radio news reporter. He joined the SNP in 1979 and has stood twice previously for Westminster, in Glasgow Pollok (1987), and in Clydesdale (1997). Within the SNP Andrew has held the position of Assistant National Secretary of the Party (1992-96) and has been an Elected Member of the Party's policy-making National Council (1985-98), where he was a veteran policy-maker. Andrew was also Depute Rural Affairs Spokesman for the SNP in the late 90's (1997-98). Andrew has an Honours Degree in Divinity from the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, one of the oldest theological colleges in the British Isles, and is a licensed Eucharistic Assistant within the Scottish Episcopal Church at St Johns Episcopal Church in Johnstone. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Contemporary Scotland, a Glasgow-based think tank which seeks to promote public debate on all aspects of modern Scottish life. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Paisley & South Renfrewshire, 6,653 votes (17.57 %) 1997 Westminster election, Clydesdale, 10,050 votes (22.13 %)
	Iain Hogg (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Scottish Socialist Party
	Iain Hogg is 39, works as an electrician and is a graduate in electronic engineering. For eight years he served as Seedhill's councillor, before leaving the Labour Party in disgust at the New Labour project, particularly their use of PFI in education - the creeping privatisation of our schools. As a socialist, he found a home in the SSP, where he is a committed campaigner for public ownership of our railways, schools and hospitals. He lost Seedhill to Labour in 2003 by just ten votes. Recent electoral experience As a Scottish Socialist Party candidate: 2005 Westminster election, Paisley & Renfrewshire South, 789 votes (2.08 %) 2003 Renfrew Council election, Seedhill, 437 votes (36.24 %) (defeated) As a Labour Party candidate: 1999 Renfrew Council election, Seedhill, 783 votes (49.87 %) (elected) 1995 Renfrew Council election, Seedhill, 528 votes (42.04 %) (elected)
	Malcolm MacAskill (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Malcolm MacAskill contested Glasgow Rutherglen at the 2001 Westminster election. Recent electoral experience. 2001 Westminster election, Glasgow Rutherglen, 3,301 votes (11.30 %)
	Angela McGarrigle (Also number 7 on West of Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Recent electoral experience
	John Plott (Not standing on West of Scotland list)
	Independent
	John Plott is the founder of Renfrewshire United. Recent electoral experience

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 27 (34 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 9.70 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Conservative hit list: 58 (57 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 19.72 % from Labour to Conservative

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 46 (45 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 20.10 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 47,849 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Paisley & Renfrewshire North 39,953 (83.5 %)
Paisley & Renfrewshire South 7,896 (16.5 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 44,999. Turnout 22,206, 49.35 % (- 7.26 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Wendy Alexander MSP	10,631	47.87 %	- 0.75 %
	Scottish National Party	George Adam	6,321	28.47 %	- 3.52 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Allison Cook	1,871	8.43 %	+ 0.35 %
	Liberal Democrat	Brian O'Malley	1,705	7.68 %	- 0.01 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Sean Hurl	1,678	7.56 %	+ 3.93 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	4,310	19.41 %	+ 2.78 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 44,999. Turnout 22,259, 49.47 % (- 7.26 %)
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	8,311	37.34 %	- 5.95 %
	Scottish National Party	5,804	26.07 %	- 4.33 %
	Conservative & Unionist	1,836	8.25 %	- 0.35 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,827	8.21 %	+ 5.51 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,680	7.55 %	0.71 %
	Scottish Green Party	1,031	4.63 %	+ 2.65 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	742	3.33 %	(+ 3.33 %)
	Pro-Life Party	338	1.52 %	+ 0.11 %
	Socialist Labour Party	333	1.50 %	+ 0.18 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	248	1.11 %	(+ 0.43 %)
	UK Independence Party	68	0.31 %	(+ 0.31 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	41	0.18 %	(+ 0.18 %)
	Labour majority	2,507	11.26 %	- 1.63 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Wendy Alexander	13,492	48.62 %	- 10.84 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Ian MacKay	8,876	31.99 %	+ 10.07 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Peter Ramsay	2,242	8.08 %	- 1.49 %
	Liberal Democrat	Tamsin Mayberry	2,133	7.69 %	+ 0.76 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Fiona Macdonald	1,007	3.63 %	+ 3.63 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	4,616	16.63 %	- 20.91 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	11,969	43.29 %
	Scottish National Party	8,406	30.40 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	2,378	8.60 %
	Liberal Democrats	2,285	8.26 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	746	2.70 %
	Scottish Green Party	548	1.98 %
	Pro Life Alliance	391	1.41 %
	Socialist Labour Party	364	1.32 %
	Canon Kenyon Wright	270	0.98 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	187	0.68 %
	Natural Law Party	68	0.25 %
	Independent Labour Keep Scotland's Water Public	37	0.13 %
	Labour majority	3,563	12.89 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Mrs Irene Adams	20,295	59.46 %
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Iain Mackay	7,481	21.92 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Kenneth Brookes	3,267	9.57 %
	Liberal Democrat	Alan Jelfs	2,365	6.93 %
	Pro Life Alliance	Robert Graham	531	1.56 %
	Referendum	Edwin Mathew	196	0.57 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	12,814	37.54 %

Links

• Paisley North SNP
  
  
• Paisley North Tories