Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'We're not going to lie about the state of the parties. The SNP are on course to do well.' A 'Labour source' quoted by Scottish Political Editor Paul Hutcheon in the Sunday Herald, 18 th June 2006.

Cumbernauld & Kilsyth (Central Scotland Region)

Candidates

	Cathie Craigie MSP (Not standing on Central Scotland list)
	Labour
	Cathie Craigie was born on the 14 th April 1954 in Stirling and educated at Kilsyth Academy. She worked as part of an External Audit Team for Chartered Accountants and as Parliamentary Assistant to an MP who she prefers not to name. She is married, a Christian and a member of the AEEU. She is Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Deafness. She was elected in 1999 with a healthy majority of 4,259 but this was slashed to just 520 in 2003 by the SNP's Andrew Wilson. Ministerial Posts: None Recent electoral experience 2003 Scottish Parliament election, 10,146 votes (41.58 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, 15,182 votes (49.59 %) (elected)
	Cllr Anne Harding (Also number 5 on Central Scotland list)
	Conservative & Unionist
	Anne Harding was born in Stirling and educated at Beacon School for Girls, Bridge of Allan.ĘShe lived in Zambia from 1968 to 1976, where she met and then got married to Keith Harding in 1973. Her two children were born in Zambia. Now a grandparent with family in America she enjoys quilting, reading, cycling, restoring antique furniture and exploring France. She was elected as Tory Cllr for Torbrew in Stirling Council in 2003. Her husband Keith was a Stirling Cllr who was elected as Tory MSP for Mid Scotland & Fife in 1999. He defected to the Scottish Peoples Alliance in April 2003 and stood in Stirling, coming 6th with 642 votes. Recent electoral experience. 2003 Stirling Council election, Torbrex, 761 votes, (40.39 %) (elected) 1995 Stirling Council election, Broomridge, 239 votes (14.23 %)
	Jamie Hepburn (Also number 4 on Central Scotland list)
	Scottish National Party (Save Monklands Hospital)
	Jamie joined the SNP aged 18 and became active in the party's student wing as well as in his home city of Glasgow. During his time as a student he was involved in the campaigns to elect Ian Hamilton and Alasdair Gray as rector of Glasgow University. He also served as Senior Vice President of Glasgow University Students' Representative Council and as convenor of the SNP student wing, as well as representing them to the party's National Executive Committee for two years. Jamie has also served as convener of the SNP youth wing and secretary of the SNP's Glasgow Regional Association. He is currently employed by Alex Neil MSP as his research assistant. Election Agent to Alex Dingwall, SNP candidate in Glasgow Maryhill at the 2001 general election, and a council candidate for the Firhill ward in Glasgow in 2003, and Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East at the 2005 Westminster election. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East, 8,689 votes (22.23 %) 2003 Glasgow City Council election, Firhill, 480 votes (22.40 %)
	Hugh O'Donnell (Also number 1 on Central Scotland list)
	Liberal Democrat
	Hugh O'Donnell was born in 1952 and is married with one son and one daughter. He attended Falkirk College of Further Education, where he gained an HND in Communication & Media Studies in 1994, Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh, and Southern Connecticut State University resulting in a BA (Hons) in Communication in 1997. He is a former lecturer at Falkirk College of Further & Higher Education, and has worked a community care professional. He has acted as Vice-Convenor of Central Scotland Liberal Democrats and been a member of the Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. His interests include disability rights issues, media structure, ownership & influence and freedom of information. In his spare time he enjoys historical research, writing short articles for the local press and doing DIY. Recent electoral experience 2005 Westminster election, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East, 5,817 votes (14.88 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Second on Lib Dem Central Scotland list, 15,494 votes (5.89 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth, 1,264 votes (5.18 %) 2000 Westminster Parliament by-election, Falkirk West, 615 votes (3.15 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Cumbernauld & Kilsyth, 2,029 votes (6.63 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Tenth on Lib Dem Central Scotland list, 20,505 votes (6.20 %)

Constituency profile

Assessment:

This assessment is based on the 2003 election results

Rank on Scottish National Party hit list: 3 (23 in 2003)
Swing required for Scottish National Party gain: 1.07 % from Labour to Scottish National Party

Rank on Liberal Democrat hit list: 41 (50 in 2003)
Swing required for Liberal Democrat gain: 18.20 % from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Rank on Conservative hit list: 55 (63 in 2003)
Swing required for Conservative gain: 18.79 % from Labour to Conservative

Correlation to the new Westminster constituencies

The electorate of 50,435 was split between the new Westminster constituencies of:
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkinlilloch East 49,902 (98.9 %)
Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill: 533 (1.1 %)

Local Government wards in the constituency

Previous results

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Electorate 48,667. Turnout 24,404, 50.14 % (- 11.83 %)
Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Cathie Craigie MSP	10,146	41.58 %	- 8.01 %
	Scottish National Party	Andrew Wilson MSP	9,626	39.44 %	+ 3.76
	Scottish Socialist Party	Kenny McEwan	1,823	7.47 %	+ 3.82
	Liberal Democrat	Hugh O'Donnell	1,264	5.18 %	- 1.12 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Margaret McCulloch	978	4.01 %	- 0.44 %
	Independent	Christopher Donohue	567	2.32 %	(+ 2.32 %)
	Labour hold	Labour majority	520	2.13 %	- 11.78 %

1 st May 2003 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Electorate 48,667. Turnout 24,390, 50.12 % 108 rejected ballot papers
Logo	Party	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	8,699	35.67 %	- 1.63 %
	Scottish National Party	8,333	34.17 %	+ 0.68 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	2,036	8.35 %	+ 5.76 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,369	5.61 %	+ 0.38 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,215	4.98 %	+ 0.09 %
	Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party	1,115	4.57 %	(+ 4.57 %)
	Scottish Green Party	1,049	4.30 %	+ 3.55 %
	Socialist Labour Party	200	0.82 %	- 1.46 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	173	0.71 %	+ 0.31 %
	Mary Anderson (Independent)	94	0.39 %
	UK Independence Party	56	0.23 %	(+ 0.23 %)
	Scottish Peoples Alliance	51	0.21 %	(+ 0.21 %)
	Labour majority	366	1.50 %	- 2.31 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Constituency result

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%	% change
	Labour	Cllr Cathy Craigie	15,182	49.59 %	- 9.10 %
	Scottish National Party	Andrew Wilson	10,923	35.68 %	+ 7.88 %
	Liberal Democrat	Hugh O'Donnell	2,029	6.63 %	+ 2.83 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Robin Slack	1,362	4.45 %	- 2.33 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	Kenny McEwan	1,116	3.65 %	2.69 %
	Labour win	Labour majority	4,259	13.91 %	- 16.98 %

6 th May 1999 Holyrood Election - Regional list result

Logo	Party	Votes	%
	Labour	11,360	37.30 %
	Scottish National Party	10,200	33.49 %
	Member of Parliament for Falkirk West	3,445	11.31 %
	Liberal Democrats	1,594	5.23 %
	Conservative & Unionist Party	1,490	4.89 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	790	2.59 %
	Socialist Labour Party	694	2.28 %
	ProLife Alliance	356	1.17 %
	Scottish Green Party	229	0.75 %
	Scottish Unionist Party	122	0.40 %
	Natural Law Party	80	0.26 %
	Others: Scottish Families & Pensioners Party Independent Progressive (Breakdown not available)	94	0.31 %
	Labour majority	1,160	3.81 %

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Rosemary McKenna	21,141	58.69 %
	Scottish National Party	Colin Barrie	10,013	27.80 %
	Conservative & Unionist	Ian Sewell	2,441	6.78 %
	Liberal Democrat	John Biggam	1,368	3.80 %
	Pro Life Alliance	Jan Cara	609	1.69 %
	Scottish Socialist Alliance	Kenneth McEwan	345	0.96 %
	Referendum	Pamela Cook	107	0.30 %
	Labour hold	Labour majority	11,128	30.89 %

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