Election Campaigns
 | 'In Bute House in Edinburgh, Alex Salmond is sitting back in his sofa, now content in the knowledge that the official residence appears to be his - barring unpredictable events - until at least 2015. Such is the lowly standing of the three Labour candidates, the meticulous SNP operation hasn't even got round to polling on them yet. With Gordon Brown on the edge, and the entire Labour movement in freefall, this is not the most auspicious time for anyone to take over a party whose former lock grip on Scotland is weakening by the hour.'
Eddie Barnes, Political Editor in Scotland on Sunday, 3 rd August 2008. |  |
Party Leaders and Leadership Campaigns
The Scottish National Party
Party leaders
| 1934 - 1936 |
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Sir Alexander MacEwan |
| 1936 - 1940 |
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Professor Andrew Dewar Gibb |
| 1940 - 1942 |
|
William Power |
| 1942 - 1945 |
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Douglas Young
(defeated William Power by 33 votes to 29) |
| 1945 - 1947 |
|
Bruce Watson |
| 1947 - 1956 |
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Dr Robert D. McIntyre |
| 1956 - 1960 |
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James Halliday |
| 1960 - May 1969 |
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Arthur Donaldson |
| May 1969 - 1979 |
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William Wolfe |
| 1979 - September 1990 |
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Dr Gordon Wilson MP |
| September 1990 - September 2000 |
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Alex Salmond MP, MSP |
| September 2000 - September 2004 |
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John Swinney MP, MSP |
| September 2004 - |
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Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP |
SNP Group Leaders at Westminster
| 1970 - 1987 |
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Rt Hon Donald Stewart MP |
| 1987 - 2001 |
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Margaret Ewing MSP MP |
| 2001 - 2007 |
|
Alex Salmond MSP MP |
| 2007 - |
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Angus Robertson MP |
Election details
- 22 nd September 1990, Leadership Election
Alex Salmond MP, 486 votes (72.3 %)
Margaret Ewing MP, 186 votes (27.7 %)
- 23 rd September 2000, Leadership Contest
John Swinney MP, MSP, 547 votes (67.6 %)
Alex Neil MSP, 262 votes (32.4 %)
- 27 th September 2003, Leadership Challenge
John Swinney MSP, 577 votes (83.9 %)
Dr William Wilson, 111 votes (16.1 %)
- 3 rd September 2004, Leadership Election
Alex Salmond MP, 4,952 votes (75.8 %)
Roseanna Cunningham MSP, 953 votes (14.6 %)
Michael Russell, 631 votes (9.7 %)
The Scottish Labour Party
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
The current leader of the Scottish Labour Party is the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Dr James Gordon Brown MP.
Leaders of the Scottish Parliamentary group
The list below notes the leaders of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament. Donald Dewar, Henry McLeish and Jack McConnell were also First Ministers of Scotland.
| 1997 - 11 th October 2000 |
 |
Rt Hon Donald Dewar MP MSP
(elected unopposed) |
| 21 st October 2000 - 8 th November 2001 |
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Rt Hon Henry McLeish MP MSP
(beat Jack McConnell MSP by 44 votes to 36) |
| 17 th November 2001- 15 th August 2007 |
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Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP
(elected unopposed) |
| 15 th September 2007 - 28 th June 2008 |
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Wendy Alexander MSP
(elected unopposed) |
| 13 th September 2008 - |
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Iain Gray MSP
(with 57.8 % against Cathy Jamieson after elimination of Andy Kerr) |
The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party
| - 1999 |
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Sir Michael Hirst |
| 1999 - 31 st October 2005 |
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David McLetchie MSP
(who beat Phil Gallie) |
| 8 th November 2005 - |
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Annabel Goldie MSP
(elected unopposed) |
The Scottish Liberal Party/ Liberal Democrats
Since devolution in 1999, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader has been an MSP and the Deputy leader and MP
| 1974 - 1990 |
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(Sir) Russell Johnston MP, later Lord Russell-Johnston of Minginish |
| 1990 - 1992 |
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(Rt Hon) Malcolm Bruce MP |
| 1992 - June 2005 |
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Rt Hon James Wallace QC MP, MSP, later Lord Wallace of Tankerness |
| June 2005 - 2 nd July 2008 |
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Nicol Stephen MSP |
| 26 th August 2008 - |
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Tavish Scott MSP |
- 23 rd June 2005, Leadership contest
Nicol Stephen MSP, 2,108 votes (76.6 %)
Mike Rumbles MSP 642 (23.4 %)
- 26 th August 2008, Leadership contest
Tavish Scott MSP, (59 %)
Ross Finnie MSP, (21 %)
Mike Rumbles MSP, (18 %)
The Scottish Socialist Party
| 1999 - November 2004 |
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Tommy Sheridan MSP |
| November 2004 - February 2005 |
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Joint leadership by all six MSPs |
| February 2005 - |
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Colin Fox MSP |
The Scottish Green Party
From October 2004, Robin Harper MSP & Shiona Baird MSP were co-convenors of the Scottish Green Party Council, but Shiona Baird was registered with the Electoral Commission as the party leader. (Thanks to Christian Schmidt).
| 1999 - October 2004 |
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Robin Harper MSP |
| October 2004 - September 2007 |
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Robin Harper MSP
(Co-Convenor) |
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Shiona Baird MSP
(Co-Convenor) |
| September 2007 - 30 th November 2008 |
|
Robin Harper MSP
(Co-Convenor) |
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Cllr Alison Johnstone
(Co-Convenor) |
| 1 st December 2008 - |
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Patrick Harvie MSP
(Co-Convenor) |
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Eleanor Scott
(Co-Convenor) |
Solidarity, Scotland's Socialist Movement
| September 2005 - |
|
Tommy Sheridan MSP
(Co-Convenor) |
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Rosemary Byrne MSP
(Co-Convenor) |
On the 3 rd November 2006. Solidarity conference endorses the appointments.
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