Dumfries (Scottish Parliament constituency)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dumfries
Scottish Parliament county constituency
Dumfries shown within the
South of Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Created: 1999
MSP: Elaine Murray
Party: Labour
Council area: Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it is one of nine constituencies in the South of Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Contents

[edit] Electoral region

See also South of Scotland Scottish Parliament region

The other eight constituencies of the South of Scotland region are Ayr, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Clydesdale, Cunninghame South, East Lothian, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Roxburgh and Berwickshire and Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale.

The region covers the Dumfries and Galloway council area, the Scottish Borders council area, the South Ayrshire council area, part of the East Ayrshire council area, part of the East Lothian council area, part of the Midlothian council area, part of the North Ayrshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

[edit] Constituency boundaries and council area

The Dumfries constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.[1]

The Holyrood constituency covers an eastern portion of the Dumfries and Galloway council area. The rest of the council area is covered by the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency.

[edit] Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 Elaine Murray Labour
2003
2007

[edit] Election results

Scottish Parliament election, 2007: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Murray 13,707 41.0 +1.0
Conservative Murray Tosh 10,860 32.5 -4.1
Scottish National Party Michael Russell 6,306 18.9 +6.7
Liberal Democrats Lynne Hume 2,538 7.6 +0.1
Majority 2,839 8.5
Rejected Ballots 1006
Turnout 33,419 53.5 +1.3
Labour hold Swing 2.6
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Murray 12,834 39.97 +3.2
Conservative David Mundell 11,738 36.56 +9.3
Scottish National Party Andrew Wood 3,931 12.24 -7.6
Liberal Democrats Clare Humblen 2394 7.46 -8.7
Scottish Socialist John Dennis 1213 3.78 n/a
Majority 1,096 3.41 -6.11
Turnout 32,110
Labour hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Dumfries
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Elaine Murray 14,101 36.74 n/a
Conservative David Mundell 10,447 27.22 n/a
Scottish National Party James Donaldson 7,625 19.87 n/a
Liberal Democrats Iain Haughie 6,209 16.18 n/a
Majority 3,654 n/a
Turnout 38,382 n/a

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland