Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'The most infamous Brown gaffe wasn't a gaffe at all, but a deliberate attempt to blow the xenophobic dog whistle - I refer of course to his speech in 2007 when he promised "British jobs for British workers". No-one weighs his words more carefully than the PM, and he knew exactly what he was doing echoing the slogan of the British National Party.' Iain Macwhirter in the Sunday Herald, 8 th February 2008.

Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath

Candidates

	Rt Hon Dr James Gordon Brown MP
	Labour
	The Labour candidate is the British Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Dr James Gordon Brown. Brown was peviously MP for Dunfermline East, which disappeared in the last boundary changes, and his friend Dr Lewis Moonie, now Lord Moonie stepped down in Kirkcaldy to allow Brown a free run. Brown was born in Govan in 1951 and educated at Kirkcaldy High School and Edinburgh University, obtaining a PhD for his research into the Labour movement. He was Recor of Edinburgh University from 1972 until 1975 and then a lecturer there until 1980. He was elected MP for the new constituency of Dunfermline East in 1983 with 51.5 % of the vote, which he increased to 64.7 % in 1987. At the Labour landslide in 1997, he won 66.81 % of the vote on the new constituency boundaries, seeing his vote fall slightly to 64.77 % in 2001. Brown was Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 1987 and after a peroid as Trade & Industry spokesman, was promoted to Shadow Chancelor in 1992 when his friend John Smith became party leader. Upon Labour's return to power in 1997, Brown became Chancellor of the Exchequer, and apart from Tony Blair, was the only member of the government to continuously hold the same post since their victory. As Chancellor, Brown was fortunate in being able to use Scottish oil revenues to prop up the ailing British economy, a policy which has worked, ironically, at the expense of the Scottish economy which has been sadly neglected. Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007 upon the departure of Tony Blair. Ministerial Posts: 2 nd May 1997 to 27 th June 2007 Chancellor of the Exchequer. 27 th June 2007 Prime Minsieter Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, 24,278 votes (58.09 %) (elected) 2001 Westminster election, Dunfermine East, 19,487 votes (64.77 %) (elected) 1997 Westminster election, Dunfermine East, 24,431 votes (66.81 %) (elected) 1992 Westminster election, Dunfermine East, 23,692 votes (62.43 %)(elected) 1987 Westminster election, Dunfermine East, 25,381 votes (64.75 %) (elected) 1983 Westminster election, Dunfermine East, 18,515 votes (51.53 %) (elected)
	Who?
	Conservative & Unionist
	Recent electoral experience.
	Who?
	Liberal Democrat
	Recent electoral experience
	Who?
	Scottish National Party
	Recent electoral experience

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	23,805	58.51 %		23,838	57.69 %
	Scottish National Party	7,567	18.60 %		7,754	18.76 %
	Conservative & Unionist	4,314	10.60 %		4,595	11.11 %
	Liberal Democrat	3,724	9.15 %		3,796	9.19 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	1,110	2.73 %		1,175	2.84 %
	Others	167	0.41 %		165	0.40 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	16,238	39.91 %		16,084	38.92 %