 | 'Reports of my political demise were not, in fact, exaggerated.' Sir Michael Forsyth loses Stirling, 2 nd May 1997. |  |
| 'Reports of my political demise were not, in fact, exaggerated.' Sir Michael Forsyth loses Stirling, 2 nd May 1997. | |
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Bob Dalrymple |  |
| Conservative & Unionist | ||
| The new Tory candidate is Bob Dalrymple, who was born in 1975 in Dumfries, and graduated from Edinburgh University in 1997 with an LL.B. In 1996 he won The John Smith Memorial Mace, the British Isles universities debating championship. He currently works in Stirling as a marketer for a well-known brand of whisky. Bob is a member of conservative think-tank The Tuesday Club. When asked about his experience in the run up to the Scottish Parliamentary elections he quipped: 'None, unless you count being elected president of Edinburgh University Students Association in 1997, which prompted The Scotsman diary to congratulate him on becoming 'the most senior elected Conservative in Scotland'.' He conteted Stirling at the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. Recent electoral experience. 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Stirling, 8,081 votes (24.77 %) 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Fourth on Tory Mid Scotland & Fife list, 44,341 votes (16.24 %) | ||
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Rt Hon Anne McGuire MP |  |
| Labour | ||
| Anne McGuire 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 had applied for several seats and was three times election agent for Cumbernauld & Kilsyth MP, Norman Hogg, now Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld. She owed her selection for Stirling to an all female short list and her membership of the sinister Network organisation, whose notoriety grew to such an extent 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. She 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 remained the only full time minister at the Scotland Office after Helen Liddell was sacked and the position of Secretary of State (briefly) abolished and responsibility for Scotland given to Lord Falkener, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs before being given to Transport Secretary Alasdair Darling. McGuire was promoted to Minister of State with responsabilities for Disabilities in May 2005, but was demoted to PUSS a year later, and in October 2008 she was sacked but became a Privy Counsellor as a consolation prize. In a cruel twist of fate, McGuire appeared on the BBC's election night programme in May 2007 just in time to witness the Scottish National Party's Bruce Crawford defeat Stirling's sitting Labour MSP, Dr Sylvie Jackson, in a constutuency which contains 80 % of Ms McGuire's electorate. Ministerial Posts: July 1998 - 2001 - Assistant Whip 2001 - 2002 - Lord Commissioner (Senior Whip) May 2002 - May 2005 - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland May 2005 - May 2006 - Minister of State Work & Pensions (Disabilities) May 2006 - October 2008 - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Dept of Work & Pensions (Disabled People) Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster Parliament election, Stirling, 15,729 (36.00 %) 2001 Westminster Parliament election, Stirling, 15,175 votes (42.23 %) 1997 Westminster Parliament election, Stirling, 20,382 votes (47.45%) 1980 Strathclyde Regional Council election (elected) | ||
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Who? |  |
| Liberal Democrat | ||
Recent electoral experience | ||
|
Who? |  |
| Scottish National Party | ||
|
Recent electoral experience | ||
| 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 % | |
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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 % | |
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