State of the Parties

State of the Parties in the Scottish Parliament

Alex Salmond is elected as Scotland's First Minister, 16 th May 2007

Party	Logo	Area	May 1999 election		before 2003 election		May 2003 election		before 2003 election		May 2007 election		Now
Scottish National Party		Constituencies	7	35	7e	33	9	27	8i,n	25	21	47	21s	47
		Regions	28		26g,h		18		17j,p		26		26
Labour		Constituencies	53	56	52b,c,d	55	46	50	46	50	37	46	37	46
		Regions	3		3		4		4		9		9
Conservative & Unionist		Constituencies	0	18	1b	19	3	18	3	17	4	17	3r	16
		Regions	18		18f		15		14l,m,o		13		13
Liberal Democrat		Constituencies	12	17	12	16	13	17	13	17	11	16	11	16
		Regions	5		4a		4		4k		5		5
Scottish Green Party		Constituencies	0	1	0	1	0	7	0	7	0	2	0	2
		Regions	1		1		7		7		2		2
Independents		Constituencies	1	1	1	3	2	3	2	5	0	1	0	1
		Regions	0		2 g,h		1		3 j,m		1		1
Presiding Officer		Constituencies	0	0	0	1	0	0	1 i	1	0	0	1r	1
		Regions	0		1 a		0		0		0		0
Scottish Socialist Party		Constituencies	0	1	0	1	0	6	0	4	0	0	0	0
		Regions	1		1		6		4q		0		0
Solidarity		Constituencies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0
		Regions	0		0		0		2q		0		0
Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party		Constituencies	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
		Regions	0		0		1		1		0		0
Vacant		Constituencies	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Regions	0		0		0		0		0		0
Total		Constituencies	73	129	73	129	73	129	73	129	73	129	73	129
		Regions	56		56		56		56		56		56
Major Party		Constituencies	Lab	Lab	Lab	Lab	Lab	Lab	Lab	Lab	Lab	SNP	Lab	SNP
		Regions	SNP		SNP		SNP		SNP		SNP		SNP
Overall Majority		Constituencies	+ 33	- 17	+ 31	- 19	+ 25	- 29	+ 19	- 28	+ 1	- 35	+ 1	- 35
		Regions	+ 0		- 2		- 20		- 18		- 4		- 4
May 1999 - May 2003 a The Rt Hon Lord Steel of Aikwood MSP was elected as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and sat as an Independent MSP. However, Lord Steel continued to attend, vote and claim allowances in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat Peer. b Ian Welsh MSP (Labour, Ayr) resigned on the 21 st December 1999. The subsequent by-election on the 17 th March 2000 was won by John Scott for the Tories. c The Rt Hon Donald Dewar MP MSP (Labour, Glasgow Anniesland) died on the 11 th October 2000. On the subsequent by-election on 23 rd November 2000, the seat was held for Labour by Bill Butler. d Dr Sam Galbraith MP MSP (Labour, Strathkelvin & Bearsden) resigned on the 14 th May 2001. On the subsequent by-election on 7 th June 2001, the seat was held for Labour by Brian Fitzpatrick. e Alex Salmond MP MSP (Scottish National Party, Banff & Buchan) resigned on the 14 th May 2001. On the subsequent by-election on 7 th June 2001, the seat was held for the SNP by Stewart Stevenson. f Nick Johnston MP (Tory, Mid Scotland & Fife) resigned on the 10 th August 2001. He was succeeded by Murdo Fraser, fourth on the Tory list, on the 14 th August 2001. g Dorothy Grace Elder MSP (Scottish National Party, Glasgow) resigned from the SNP on 2 nd May 2002 to become an independent. h Margo MacDonald (Scottish National Party, Lothians) announced on 28 th January 2003 that she would be standing as an independent in the 2003 elections and was expelled from the SNP. May 2003 - May 2007 i George Reid (Scottish National Party, Ochil) was elected as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament on 7 th May 2003 and resigned from the SNP to sit as an independent. j Campbell Martin (SNP, West of Scotland) was suspended from the SNP on 23 rd April 2004 and expelled on 10 th July 2004. k Dr Keith Raffan (Liberal Democrat, Mid Scotland ∓ Fife) resigned on the 7 th of January 2005. He was succeeded by Cllr Andrew Arbuckle, second on the Liberal Democrat list, who was sworn in on the 12 th of January 2005. l David Mundell MSP (Tory, South of Scotland) was elected MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale on the 5 th of May 2005. He resigned his Scottish Parliament seat on the 17 th June 2005 and was succeeded by Derek Brownlee, second on the Tory list, who was sworn in on the 22 nd June 2005. m Brian Monteith MSP (Tory, Mid Scotland & Fife) resigned the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party whip on the 4 th of November 2005 and resigned from the party on the 8 th November 2005. n Margaret Ewing MSP (Scottish National Party, Moray) died on the 21 st of March 2006. She was succeeded by Richard Lochhead (who resigned as MSP for North East Scotland on the 7 th of April 2005) as MSP for Moray on the 27 th April 2006. o Mary Scanlon MSP (Tory, Highlands & Islands) resigned on the 7 th of April 2006 to contest the Moray by-election. She was succeeded by David Petrie, third on the Tory list, who was sworn in on the 19 th of April 2006. p Richard Lochhead MSP (Scottish National Party, North East Scotland) resigned on the 7 th of April 2006 to contest the Moray by-election. He was succeeded by Maureen Watt, sixth on the SNP list, who was sworn in on the 19 th of April 2006. (Richard Lochhead was elected as SNP MSP for Moray on 27 th April 2006.) q Tommy Sheridan MSP (Scottish Socialist Party, Glasgow) and Rosemary Byrne MSP (Scottish Socialist Party, South of Scotland) left the Scottish Socialist Party to form Solidarity on the 30 th August 2006. May 2007 r Alex Fergusson (Conservative, Galloway & Upper Nithsdale) was elected as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament on 14 th May 2007 and resigned from the Tories to sit as an independent. s Cllr Stefan Tymkewycz MSP (Scottish National Party, Lothians) resigned on the 31 st August 2007 to concentrate on his council dutes; He was replaced by Shirley-Anne Somerville, sixth on the SNP Lothians list.