Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'I have been fascinated to read the Hutton report. Ultimately, it disappoints because it is very one-sided. I have just one question: Did Hutton buy his buckets of whitewash from the same source as Denning?' Labour MP, Austin Mitchell, 28 th January 2004.

Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill

Candidates

	Labour	Rt Hon Tom Clarke MP
	Scottish National Party	Duncan Ross
	Conservative & Unionist	Lindsay Paterson
	Liberal Democrat	Rod Ackland
	Scottish Socialist Party	Joan Kinloch

Candidates

The Labour candidate is the Rt Hon Tom Clarke MP, currently MP for Coatbridge & Chryston. Despite being an ex shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, a Minister of State under Blair, and a Labour MP since 1982 (of the MPs standing for re-election, only Gavin Strang, Robin Cook, David Marshall (candidature unconfirmed) and Michael Martin have a longer service record), Clarke is almost unknown outside his own constituency - where he is remembered as the ex Provost of Monklands District Council. Clarke was born in Coatbridge in 1941 and educated at Columba High School and the Scottish College of Commerce. He worked as an office and clerical worker before working in the film industry. As shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Clarke was an unenthusiastic supporter of devolution, and appeared confused and uncharismatic compared to the then Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Forsyth. In 1997 Blair appointed Clark Minister of State in the National Heritage Dept. with responsibility for the Film industry, but sacked him in July 1998. Clarke began his long political career by serving on Coatbridge Town Council from 1964 until 1974, and on Monklands District Council, where he became Provost in 1978, from 1974 until 1980. Clark held Coatbridge & Airdrie in 1982 upon the death of the hiighly popular Jimmy Dempsie. Despite this being just three months after Roy Jenkin's victory for the SDP in Glasgow Hillhead, the Alliance could only scrape in fourth with 8.5 %. Coatbridge & Airdrie and its successors have always delivered a majority of votes for a Labour candidate, with the exception of Monklands East in the 1994 by-election, when Labour's Helen Liddell took 49.8 % compared to 44.9 % for the SNP's Kay Ullrich.

The SNP candidate is Duncan Ross. Duncan joined the SNP in 1987 and has held numerous positions at Branch and Constituency level. Currently he is a member of Glasgow West End branch and secretary of Glasgow Kelvin Constituency Association. He is also a member of the SNP's Standing Orders and Agenda Committee and of the Discipline Committee of the Party. He stood for election to Glasgow City Council in 1999 and 2003 and was a candidate in the European election of 2004. Duncan was educated at the University of Glasgow and the London School of Economics. He has taught economics and management at universities in England, Sweden and New Zealand. He returned to Scotland in 1997, and is currently in the Department of Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow, where he recently completed a term as Head of School of History and Archaeology.

The Tory candidate is Lindsay Paterson. Lindsay works for the Scottish Conservative Party as Campaigns Coordinator and previously worked as Constituency Advisor to Margaret Mitchell MSP, the regional MSP for Central Scotland. Lindsay is a graduate from St Andrews University in modern history and international relations, and has been actively involved in the Scottish Conservatives since she was 17.

The Lib Dem candidate is Rod Ackland who was born in 1945 and educated at Eastbourne College School, Sussex University and Oxford University. He worked as a lecturer at Essex university, as an engineer with Lucas Aerosace, as a Computer advisor at Warwick University, as an associate lecturer at the Open University and as an IT specialist at Glasgow University. He is single and lives in Edinburgh. A member of the electoral rform society and the Association of University Teachers, his interests include technology, education, the environment, theatre and music. At the 1983 Westminster election he stood in Monklands West for the SDP, coming third with 17.3 %, while in 1987 he stood for the SDP in Clydebank & Milngavie, coming third with 14.9 %. He stood in Glasgow Springburn for the Lib Dems in 1992, coming fourth with 4.1 % and in Greenock & Inverclyde in 1997, coming third with 13.81 %. He contested Clydebank & Milngavie in 2001, coming third with 12.03 %, and also contested the seat twice at Scottish parliamentary elections, coming third with 12.45 % in 1999, and coming third with 12.16 % in 2003. He was also third and fourth on the Lib Dem West of Scotland list in 1999 and 2003 respectively.

The SSP candidate is Joan Kinloch, who is from Viewpark. She has been a nursery nurse for 19 years and works in a local nursery. As a local trade union leader, Joan played a central role in the nursery nurses long battle for a living wage.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	28,067	69.31 %		25,938	62.76 %
	Scottish National Party	5,975	14.75 %		5,835	14.97 %
	Liberal Democrat	2,257	5.57 %		2,980	7.56 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	2,083	5.14 %		1,913	4.85 %
	Conservative & Unionist	2,019	4.99 %		2,715	6.88 %
	Others	94	0.23 %		61	0.15 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	22,092	54.55 %		20,103	50.97 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This is the previous Coatbridge & Chryston constituency with the addition of five wards from the old Hamilton North & Bellshill constituency.