Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Reports of my political demise were not, in fact, exaggerated.' Sir Michael Forsyth loses Stirling, 2 nd May 1997.

Stirling

Candidates

	Labour	Anne McGuire MP
	Scottish National Party	Francis MacGlinchey
	Conservative & Unionist	Stephen Kerr
	Liberal Democrat	Kelvin Holdsworth
	Scottish Socialist Party	Rowland Sheret
	Scottish Green Party	Duncan Illingworth
	UK Independence Party	Matthew Desmond
	Operation Christian Vote	Michael Willis
	Independent	James McDonald

Candidates

The Labour candidate is Anne McGuire, currently MP for the old Stirling constituency. She was born in Glasgow in 1949 and educated at Our lady of St Francis School, Glasgow University and Notre Dame Colledge of Education in Glasgow. She worked as an administration for Glasgow University then as a teacher, and then for SCVO. She was a member of Strathclyde Regional Council from 1980 until 1982. Before being selected for Stirling McGuire has applied for several seats and had been three times election agen for Cumbernauld & Kilsyth MP, Norman Hogg. She owed her selection for Stirling to an all female short list and her membership of the sinister Network organisation, which became so notorious that it was renamed the Scottish Labour Forum. In 1997, McGuire polled 47.45 % in Stirling and defeated Conservative Secretary of State for Scotland, Sir Michael Forsyth, by 6,411 votes. He was appointed an Assistant Whip in 2001 and soon promoted to the more senior whip position of Lord Commissioner. In 2002 she was appointed as Helen Liddel's assistant at the Scotland Office, but only as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and without the title of Deputy Secretary of State for Scotland. She remains the only full time minister at the Scotland Office after Helen Liddle was sacked and the position of Secretary of State (briefly) abolished befoe being given to Transport Secretary Alasdair Darling. The Scotland Office is now responsible to Lord Falkener, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs.

The SNP candidate is Frances McGlinchey. Since graduating from university in 1986 Frances has worked in the field of Disability and Employment and presently manages an employment service for people with mental health problems in Lanarkshire. Married to John Wilson since 1982 they have a 13 year old daughter and live in a semi rural environment near Coatbridge. Frances has been involved in political activities from the age of 15. In the past was involved in national forums of the trade union movement. She is an opponent of Nuclear Power with life long involvement with the Peace Movement and Environmental activities. She has an active interest in conservation as a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and is particularly interested in planning development and the impact on the countryside. Since joining the SNP Frances has been actively involved and has stood as a council candidate at the last election.

The Tory candidate is Stephen Kerr. Stephen was born in Dundee in 1960 and raised in Forfar, Angus. He graduated with an honours degree in business management from Stirling University in 1986 and then worked for Kimberly-Clark in sales management until 1997 when he was appointed to the board of directors of Unico Limited. In 2004, Stephen left the company to set up his own business in sales management consultancy. He has always been an active churchman: from 1987 to 2003, Stephen was a member of the presidency of the Edinburgh Stake (diocese) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His faith is a profound influence in his life. Stephen and Yvonne Mairi Hood have been married for 22 years and they are the parents of four children: Luke (21) who is currently serving a church mission in Russia; Lana (18) who is a student at Stirling University; Ben (16) who is in fifth year at high school; and Jared (10) who is a pupil at a local primary School. Stephen loves history - especially British history. It is most likely that you will find him with his nose in a book whenever time permits. And he's addicted to newspapers. Stephen has also become a greater cricket lover: he came to it late and so has all of the passion of a convert. He also has the traditional Scottish obsession of football! Stephen is also passionate about the need for a more honest approach to politics and he believes that principle-centred leadership would do much to restore popular trust in the political process. Stephen's involvement with the Conservative Party goes back a very long way: it all began while he was still at school in Forfar when at 16 he was chairman of our local branch of the Scottish Young Conservatives. At university, he was chairman of Stirling University Conservative & Unionist Association for two years and was also a vice-chairman of Scottish Conservative Students. Stephen has been a local authority election candidate on a couple of occasions and he is currently a vice-chairman of Stirling Conservative & Unionist Association.

Lib Dem candidate, Kelvin Holdsworth, was born in 1966 and educated at Bearsden Academy, Ossett School, Manchester Polytechnic where he graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Computing Science & Mathematics, the University of St Andrews where he left with a very useful BD (Hons) in Practical Theology & Christian Ethics 1992 and the University of Edinburgh where he obtained a MTh in Ministry. He has worked in various capacities as a God Botherer and has been Rector of St Saviour's Church at Bridge of Allan and Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Stirling since 2000. His Holyness is a membership of the Radio Society of Great Britain, the Scottish Episcopal Church Europe Group, the General Synod of Scottish Episcopal Church, the Information & Communications Board of the Scottish Episcopal Church and he is Convener of Changing Attitude Scotland. His interests include Arts, Economy, Disestablishment, Church and State, Lords Reform, amateur radio, boating, reading and helping people to sing. He stood for Stirling Council in 2003.

The SSP candidate is Rowland Sheret who has lived in Stirling for 40 years. For many years chair of the Trades Council, he has long been a local activist. He helped set up the Raploch Tenants Action Committee and chaired the Stirling, Falkirk and Alloa Miners Support Group during the strike, and currently organises opposition to the war on Iraq.

The UK Independence Party candidate is Matthew Desmond. He was born and brought up in Stirling and started his working life in agriculture before following his father into the whisky industry in Alloa, later moving to Dufftown in Speyside to work for Diago. More than twenty years after he left school e went to university to gain a degree in Rural Development. He is currently studying for an Open University Masters Degree in ÒEnvironmental Decision MakingÓ.

The Scottish Green Party candidate is Duncan Illingworth who was born and has spent most of his life in the Stirling area. He has been running a gardening business for the last seventeen years. Married, with one daughter, Molly, he is particularly concerned about increasing greenbelt use for high value housing and other developments.

The Operation Christian Vote candidate is Michael Willis.

James McDonald is standing as an Independent. He was released from prison in 1996 after serving time for counterfeiting. Since 1996 he has taken degrees in engineering and law. Having once amassed 150 unpaid parking tickets, he wantst to improve schools and resist residents parking zones.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	18,525	43.01 %		18,462	43.07 %
	Conservative & Unionist	10,222	23.73 %		10,166	23.71 %
	Scottish National Party	7,352	17.07 %		7,222	16.85 %
	Liberal Democrat	4,963	11.52 %		5,005	11.68 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,169	2.71 %		1,171	2.73 %
	Others	844	1.96 %		843	1.96 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	8,303	19.28 %		8,296	19.35 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This consists of the whole of the old Stirling seat plus four wards from the old Ochil constituency. The constituency now covers the whole of the Stirling council area.