Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Labour has made an agreement with us about how we might advance the cause of constitutional reform. I anticipate and believe that the agreement will be honoured. I do not believe that Mr Blair is a dishonourable man. He has made that agreement and I expect and believe that he will carry that out.' Paddy Ashdown, 2 nd May 1997. (We're still waiting!)

Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross

Candidates

	Sir John Sinclair, 3 rd Viscount Thurso Bt MP
	Liberal Democrat
	Sir John Sinclair, third Viscount Thurso is the grandson of the first Viscount, Sir Archibald Sinclair, who was Secretary of State for Scotland from 1931 to 1932 and leader of the Liberal Party from 1935 until his defeat as an MP in 1945. Sir Archibald Sinclair represented Caithness & Sutherland from 1922 until 1945. Elected unopposed in 1931, Sir Archibald was forced into third place, only 55 votes behind Labour and 61 votes behind the new Tory MP. He stood again in 1950, moving up to second place, but falling back to 259 votes behind the victor. He accepted a hereditary peerage as Viscount Sinclair in 1952. The third Viscount was born on the 10 th September 1953 and is married with a daughter and two sons to carry on his line. He was schooled at Thurso and then at Eton. Upon the death of his father, the second Viscount in 1995, he became a Hereditary Member of House of Lords from 1995 until 1999 and served on the Lords Refreshment Sub-Committee. When he was denied membership of the best Gentleman's Club in the World, Lord Thurso stood for the House of Commons in 2001, swapping places with Robert Maclennan, who joined the House of Lords as Baron Maclennan of Rogart. Viscount Thurso is the only hereditary peer to have sat in the House of Commons after sitting as a member of the House of Lords. Unusually for a Lib Dem, he is pro-nuclear power. Viscount Thurso was Lib Dem Scottish & Transport spokesman under Charles Kennedy, but was sacked by Menzies Campbell, returning under Nick Clegg as Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform spokesman. Party positions October 2008 - Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform spokesman October 2003 - March 2006 - Transport spokesman October 2001 - March 2006 - Scottish spokesman House of Lords 1995 - 1999 - Hereditary peer. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross, 13,957 votes (50.45 %) (elected) 2001 Westminster election, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross, 9,041 votes (36.36 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, second on Lib Dem Highlands & Islands list, 43,226 votes (21.43 %)
	Jean Urquhart
	Scottish National Party
	Jean is managing director of Ceilidh Places Ltd, which she has run since 1972. She is also a Councillor for Wester Ross, Lochalsh and Strathpeffer, SNP deputy leader and council Vice Convener. She chairs the Audit and Scrutiny Committee and is a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee. She is also Chair of 'ScotlandŐs Housing Expo' working with the Scottish Government to deliver an international architecture event and Chair of the 'Year of Homecoming' steering group in the Highlands. Jean is also a board member of University of the Highlands and Islands Millenium Institute, Feis Rois, FUSION, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Dewar ArtŐs Awards and Vice Chair Eden Court Theatre. Council Posts: 2007 - SNP Deputy leader on Highland Council 2007 - Highland Council Vice Convener Recent electoral experience 2007 Highland Council election, Wester Ross, Lochalsh & Strathpeffer (elected) 2001 Westminster Parliament election, Ross, Skye & Inverness West, 4,901 votes (14.08 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross, 6,035 votes (23.19 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, 8 th on Scottish National Party Highlands & Islands list, 55,933 votes (27.73 %)
	Who?
	Conservative & Unionist
	Recent electoral experience.
	Who?
	Labour
	Ministerial Posts: Recent electoral experience

Westminster Election, 5 th May 2005

Electorate 46,837 Turnout: 59.06 %
	John Sinclair, third Viscount Thurso MP
	Liberal Democrat
	Votes	13,957
	%	50.45 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	+ 11.82 % / + 12.85 %
	Alan Jamieson
	Labour
	Votes	5,789
	%	20.93 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	- 3.36 % / - 2.79 %
	Cllr Karen Shirron
	Scottish National Party
	Votes	3,686
	%	13.32 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	- 7.01 % / - 8.58 %
	Angus Ross
	Conservative & Unionist
	Votes	2,835
	%	10.25 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	- 3.23 % / - 3.14 %
	Gordon Campbell
	Independent
	Votes	848
	%	3.07 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	(+ 3.07 %) / (+ 3.07 %)
	Luke Ivory
	Scottish Socialist Party
	Votes	548
	%	1.98 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	- 0.18 % / - 0.28 %
Notional Liberal Democrat hold
Liberal Democrat majority		8,168
% majority		29.53 %
% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)		+ 15.35 % / + 15.75 %

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Liberal Democrat	10,981	38.63 %		10,540	37.60 %
	Labour	6,903	24.29 %		6,651	23.72 %
	Scottish National Party	5,778	20.33 %		6,139	21.90 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,832	13.48 %		3,753	13.39 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	615	2.16 %		624	2.26 %
	Others	345	1.21 %		322	1.14 %
Notional Liberal Democrat win	Notional Liberal Democrat majority	4,078	14.35 %		3,889	13.78 %