Christine May

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Christine May (born 23 March 1948, Dublin) is a Labour politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Fife Central constituency since 2003. Christine first moved to Scotland in 1984.

She was elected to the Fife Central seat after former First Minister Henry McLeish stood down as MSP following a scandal relating to the sub-letting of his constituency office. She had previously been leader of Fife Council from 1998. She lead the Council during the 'Third Age' debacle which in turn led to the resignation of Henry McLeish as First Minister. She represented a ward in Kirkcaldy at the time and still lives there.

When the opportunity came to abolish the Tolls on the Road Bridges into Fife (the only road tolls left in Scotland), Christine failed to support the abolition of the Tolls on the Tay Bridge. Her excuse apparently was that that the motion didn't also abolish them on the Forth Road Bridge! She had also been unable to support the retention of the Fife Sports Institute in Glenrothes in its current form and current location until the end of a 'Consultation' by the council she once led. Only months earlier at a public meeting in the town attended by some 500 folk, she sat on the fence.

Her majority is only 2,762 votes (down from 8,000+ for Henry) making Central Fife one of the key marginals in Scotland and a target for the SNP, it is the 12th most marginal Labour seat. Parties other than Labour and the SNP all registered less than 10% each in 2003.