MSP Records

saltire shieldDeputy First Minister
1. A lapdog (Registered owner: D. Dewar esq.)
2. A political pragmatist who trades principles for the first sniff of power
From 'Holyrood Jargon' by Iain Watson in the Sunday Herald, 16 th May 1999.		Lion Rampant

Records for Holyrood MSPs

MSP Office
An MSP office at Holyrood
Image © Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body 2004

Youngest MSPs

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Douglas Alexander Douglas Alexander
(Labour, Paisley South)
b 26/10/1967
1999 Holyrood Douglas Alexander Duncan Hamilton
(SNP, Highlands &: Islands)
b 1973
2003 Holyrood Richard Baker Richard Baker
(Labour, North East Scotland)
b 29/5/1974
2007 Holyrood Alieen Campbell Aileen Campbell
(SNP, South of Scotland)
b 18/5/1980

Oldest MSPs

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Douglas Alexander Sir Thomas ('Tam') Dalyell of the Binns
(Labour, Linlithgow)
b 9/10/1932
1999 Holyrood Winnie Ewing Dr Winnie Ewing
(SNP, Highlands &Islands)
b 10/07/1929
2003 Holyrood John Swinburne John Swinburne
(SSCUP, Central Scotland)
b 4/7/1930
2007 Holyrood John Farquhar Munro John Farquhar Munro
(Lib Dem, Ross, Skye & Inverness West)
b 26/8/1934

Most Votes in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs George Foulkes 29,398 (59.8 %)
George Foulkes, later Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
(Labour, Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley)
1999 Holyrood Dr Sam Galbraith 21,505 (50.73 %)
Dr Sam Galbraith
(Labour, Strathkelvin & Bearsden)
2003 Holyrood Cathy Jamieson 16,484 (47.97 %)
Cathy Jamieson
(Labour, Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley)
2007 Holyrood John Swinney 18,281 (51.65 %)
John Swinney
(SNP, North Tayside)

Least Votes in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Callum Macdonald 8,955 (55.6 %)
Callum Macdonald
(Labour, Western Isles)
1999 Holyrood Dr Sam Galbraith 5,435 (51.94 %)
Tavish Scott
(Lib Dem, Shetland)
2003 Holyrood Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC 3,659 (45.71 %)
Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC
(Lib Dem, Orkney)
2007 Holyrood Liam McArthur 4,113 (47.53 %)
Liam McArthur
(Lib Dem, Orkney)

Highest % votes in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs David Marshall 73.2 % (19,616)
David Marshall
(Labour, Glasgow Shettleston)
1999 Holyrood Jim Wallace QC 67.39 % (6,010)
Jim Wallace QC
(Lib Dem, Orkney)
2003 Holyrood Paul Martin 59.03 % (10,963)
Paul Martin
(Labour, Glasgow Springburn)
2007 Holyrood Tavish Scott 66.68 % (6,531)
Tavish Scott
(Lib Dem, Shetland)

Lowest % votes in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Michael Moore 31.2 % (12,178)
Michael Moore
(Lib Dem, Tweedale, Ettrick & Lauderdale)
1999 Holyrood Nicol Stephen 32.57 % (11,300)
Nicol Stephen
(Lib Dem, Aberdeen South)
2003 Holyrood Jeremey Purves 26.96 % (7,197)
Jeremy Purves
(Lib Dem, Tweedale, Ettrick &Lauderdale)
2007 Holyrood Kenneth Gibson 30.74 % (9,295)
Kenneth Gibson
(SNP, Cunninghame North)

Largest majority in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs George Foulkes 21,062 (42.8 %)
George Foulkes, later Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
(Labour, Carrick, Cumnock &Doon Valley)
1999 Holyrood Dennis Canavan 12,192 (36.21 %)
Dennis Canavan
(Independent, Falkirk West)
2003 Holyrood Dennis Canavan 10,000 (37.88 %)
Dennis Canavan
(Independent, Falkirk West)
2007 Holyrood Stewart Stevenson 10,530 (38.59 %)
Stewart Stevenson
(SNP, Banff & Buchan)

Smallest majority in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Michael Moore 1,489 (3.8 %)
Michael Moore
(Lib Dem, Tweedale, Ettrick & Lauderdale)
1999 Holyrood Ian Welsh 25
(0.07 %)
Ian Welsh
(Labour, Ayr)
2003 Holyrood Shona Robison 90 (0.34 %)
Shona Robison
(SNP, Dundee East)
2007 Holyrood Kenneth Gibson 48 (0.16 %)
Kenneth Gibson
(SNP, Cunninghame North)

Largest % majority in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs David Marshall 59.2 %
(15,868)
David Marshall
(Labour, Glasgow Shettleston)
1999 Holyrood Jim Wallace 51.79 % (4,619)
Jim Wallace
(Lib Dem, Orkney)
2003 Holyrood Paul Martin 43.11 % (8,009)
Paul Martin
(Labour, Glasgow Springburn)
2007 Holyrood Stewart Stevenson 38.59 % (10,530)
Stewart Stevenson
(SNP, Banff & Buchan)

Smallest % majority in General Election

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Michael Moore 3.8 % (1,489)
Michael Moore
(Lib Dem, Tweedale, Ettrick & Lauderdale)
1999 Holyrood Ian Welsh 0.07 % (25)
Ian Welsh
(Lab, Ayr)
2003 Holyrood Alex Fergusson 0.33 % (99)
Alex Fergusson
(Conservative, Dumfries &Galloway)
2007 Holyrood Kenneth Gibson 0.16 % (48)
Kenneth Gibson
(SNP, Cunninghame North)

Largest % increase in votes

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Russell Brown + 17.9 %
Russell Brown
(Labour, Dumfries)
1999 Holyrood Jamie Stone + 5.48 %

Jamie Stone
(Lib Dem, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross)
2003 Holyrood Dr Jean Turner + 31.10 %
Dr Jean Turner
(Independent, Strathkelvin & Bearsden)
2007 Holyrood Michael Matheson + 24.11 %
Michael Matheson
(SNP, Falkirk West)

Largest % decrease in votes

Date Photo MSP
1997 Westminster MPs Robert Maclennan - 8.8 %
Robert Maclennan, later Lord Maclennan of Rogart
(Lib Dem, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross)
1999 Holyrood Frank McAveety - 19.21 %
Frank McAveety
(Labour, Glasgow Springburn)
2003 Holyrood Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC - 21.68 %
Rt Hon Jim Wallace QC
(Lib Dem, Orkney)
2007 Holyrood Karen Whitefield - 12.80 %
Karen Whitefield
(Labour, Airdrie & Shotts)
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