Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Those who make the Orphic effort to haul life up the slope against all the odds know full well the last people they have to thank are Tories, inclined as ever to kick the ball back down the slope.' Margaret Vaughan, wife of Alistair Darling, in the Herald.

Dunfermline & West Fife

Candidates

	Thomas Docherty
	Labour
	Thomas, lives in Dunfermline with his wife Katie - who works for the UK's largest Leukaemia charity. He is an Account Director with a Communications Consultancy, having previously worked for Network Rail, BNFL and as a research assistant to Scott Barrie, the former MSP for Dunfermline West. Thomas is Chair of the Dunfermline & West Fife Labour Party. Thomas' father-in-law is the Labour councillor for the Dunfermline North Ward. Thomas is Chairman of his local Residents Association and in his spare time is studying for a degree in history from the Open University. He is a season ticket holder at Dunfermline FC. Recent electoral experience 2001 Westminster election, Tayside North, 5,715 votes (14.84 %) 2003 Scottish Parliement election, seventh on Labour's South of Scotland list,
	Joe McCall
	Scottish National Party
	Joe is married with two daughters, and currently works as a teacher of mathematics and is a fencing coach. Prior to his time as a teacher, Joe worked for a major oil company and then a small manufacturing company. Born on 1st February 1966 in Glasgow and brought up in the city, he was educated at Lourdes Secondary School. Following this, he studied at the University of Strathclyde where he gained a degree in mining and petroleum engineering. Later, he studied for a teaching qualification at the University of Aberdeen. Recent electoral experience
	William Rennie MP
	Liberal Democrat
	Willie Rennie is a Fifer who lives in Kinross with his family. He was Chief Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Party's Chief of Staff at the Scottish Parliament between 1997 and 2001. Willie organised the Liberal Democrat Campaign for the first Scottish Parliamentary Elections in 1999 working alongside the then Leader Jim Wallace. A Fifer, living in Kelty with his wife Janet and two sons, Alexander (9) and Stephen (19 months). Family still live in Strathmiglo where his father ran the local grocer's store. Secured a degree in biology from Paisley College, where he met his wife. Chief Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the party's Chief of Staff at the Scottish Parliament between 1997 and 2001. Account Director for a Scottish communications firm advising charities and businesses. Adviser to Fife's 23 strong group of Councillors. Member of Carnegie Harriers and runner up in the Scottish Coal-Carrying Championship! In 2006 he won the Dunfermline & East Fife by-election for the Lib Dems. He campaigned against the tools on the Forth and Tay Bridges while the Liberal Democrat group in the Scottish Parliament, including Transport Minister Tavish Scott MSP, were supporting them. Party positions March 2006 - Deputy Spokesprson on Defence. Recent electoral experience 2006 Westminster Parliament by-election, Dubfermline & West Fife, 12,391 votes (35.83 %) (elected)
	Who?
	Conservative & Unionist
	Recent electoral experience.

Westminster By-Election, 9 th February 2006

Electorate: 72,225 Turnout: 48.69 % (- 11.21 %)
	William Rennie
	Liberal Democrat
	Votes	12,391
	%	35.83 %
	% change since 2005	+ 15.66 %
	Catherine Stihler (née Taylor) MEP
	Labour
	Votes	10,591
	%	30.63 %
	% change since 2005	- 16.81 %
	Douglas Chapman
	Scottish National Party
	Votes	7,261
	%	21.00 %
	% change since 2005	+ 2.07 %
	Dr Carrie Ruxton
	Conservative & Unionist
	Votes	2,702
	%	7.81 %
	% change since 2005	- 2.51 %
	John McAllion
	Scottish Socialist Party
	Votes	537
	%	1.63 %
	% change since 2005	- 0.08 %
	Rev George Hargreaves
	Scottish Christian Party
	Votes	411
	%	1.19 %
	% change since 2005	(+ 1.19 %)
	Tom Minogue
	Abolish Forth Bridge Tolls Party
	Votes	374
	%	1.08 %
	% change since 2005	(+ 1.08 %)
	Ian Borland
	UK Independence Party
	Votes	208
	%	0.60 %
	% change since 2005	- 0.92 %
	Rev Dr Dick Rogers
	Common Good
	Votes	108
	%	0.30 %
	% change since 2005	(+ 0.30 %)
Liberal Democrat gain from Labour
Liberal Democrat majority		1,800
% majority		5.21 %
% change since 2005

Westminster Election, 5 th May 2005

Electorate 70,775 Turnout: 59.90 %
	Rachel Squire MP
	Labour
	Votes	20,111
	%	47.44 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	- 7.03 % / - 6.81 %
	David Herbert
	Liberal Democrat
	Votes	8,549
	%	20.17 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	+ 5.92 % / + 6.00 %
	Douglas Chapman
	Scottish National Party
	Votes	8,026
	%	18.93 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	+ 1.10 % / + 0.86 %
	Roger Smillie
	Conservative & Unionist
	Votes	4,376
	%	10.32 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	+ 0.65 % / + 0.57 %
	Susan Archibald
	Scottish Socialist Party
	Votes	689
	%	1.63 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	- 0.77 % / - 0.75%
	Ian Borland
	UK Independence Party
	Votes	643
	%	1.52 %
	% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)	(+ 1.52 %) / (+ 1.52 %)
Notional Labour hold
Labour majority		11,562
% majority		27.27 %
% change since 2001 (Denver/Baxter figures)		- 9.37 % / - 8.92 %

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	22,070	54.47 %		21,470	54.25 %
	Scottish National Party	7,225	17.83 %		7,149	18.07 %
	Liberal Democrat	5,773	14.25 %		5,608	14.17 %
	Conservative & Unionist	3,919	9.67 %		3,860	9.75 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	971	2.40 %		937	2.38 %
	Others	559	1.38 %		549	1.38 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	14,845	36.64 %		14,321	36.19 %