Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

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Highlands and Islands
Scottish Parliament electoral region
The Highlands and Islands region
shown within Scotland
Created
1999
Current representation
Scottish National Party 6 MSPs
Liberal Democrats 4 MSPs
Labour Party 3 MSPs
Conservative 2 MSPs
Constituencies
Argyll and Bute
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
Moray
Orkney
Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Shetland
Western Isles
Council areas
Argyll and Bute (part)
Highland
Moray (part)
Na h-Eileanan Siar
Orkney Isles
Shetland Isles

The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).

The name Highlands and Islands is much older than the electoral region. The Highlands and Islands area has a large area of overlap with the Scottish Highlands, and the two names are often regarded as representing the same area.

The Highlands and Islands region is the largest of the eight electoral regions in terms of area, but the smallest in terms of population and electorate. It has boundaries with the North East Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife and West of Scotland electoral regions.

Contents

[edit] Constituencies and council areas

The constituencies were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of Westminster constituencies, as existing in at that time[1]. They cover all of four council areas[2], the Highland council area, Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles council area), the Orkney Isles council area and the Shetland Isles council area, and most of two others, the Argyll and Bute council area and the Moray council area:

Constituency Map
  1. Argyll and Bute
    covers most of the Argyll and Bute council area.

  2. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
    covers a northern portion of the Highland council area.

  3. Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
    covers a southern portion of the Highland council area.

  4. Moray
    covers most of the Moray council area.

  5. Orkney
    covers the Orkney Isles council area.

  6. Ross, Skye and Inverness West
    covers a central portion of the Highland council area.

  7. Shetland
    covers the Shetland Isles council area.

  8. Western Isles
    covers Na h-Eileanan Siar.

A south-eastern portion of the Argyll and Bute area is covered by the Dumbarton constituency, which is in the West of Scotland region. An eastern portion of the Moray area is covered by the Gordon constituency, in the North East Scotland region.

[edit] Election results

[edit] 2007 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

[edit] Constituency results

Scottish Parliament election, 2007: Highlands and Islands
Constituency Elected member Result
Argyll and Bute Jim Mather Scottish National Party gain from Liberal Democrats
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Jamie Stone Liberal Democrats hold
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party hold
Moray Richard Lochhead Scottish National Party hold
Orkney Liam McArthur Liberal Democrats hold
Ross, Skye and Inverness West John Farquhar Munro Liberal Democrats hold
Shetland Tavish Scott Liberal Democrats hold
Western Isles Alasdair Allan Scottish National Party gain from Labour

[edit] Additional member results

Scottish Parliament election, 2007: Highlands and Islands
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Scottish National Party Rob Gibson
David Thompson		 2 ±0 63,979 34.4% +11.0
Liberal Democrats 0 ±0 37,001 19.9% +1.1
Labour Peter Peacock
Rhoda Grant
David Stewart		 3 +1 32,952 17.7% -4.6
Conservative Mary Scanlon
Jamie McGrigor		 2 ±0 23,334 12.6% -3.4
Scottish Green 0 -1 8,602 4.6% -3.6
Scottish Christian 0 ±0 6,332 3.4% +3.4
Scottish Senior Citizens 0 ±0 3,841 2.1% +2.1
British National Party 0 ±0 2,152 1.2% +1.2
Solidarity 0 ±0 1,833 1.0% +1.0
United Kingdom Independence Party 0 ±0 1,287 0.7% -0.5
Socialist Labour 0 ±0 1,027 0.6% -0.4
Scottish Socialist 0 ±0 973 0.5% -4.8
Publican Party 0 ±0 914 0.5% +0.5
Christian Peoples 0 ±0 885 0.5% +0.5
Scottish Voice 0 ±0 450 0.2% +0.2
Scottish Enterprise Party 0 ±0 211 0.1% +0.1

[edit] 2003 Scottish Parliament election

In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

[edit] Constituency results

Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Highlands and Islands
Constituency Elected member Result
Argyll and Bute George Lyon Liberal Democrats
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Jamie Stone Liberal Democrats
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party
Moray Margaret Ewing Scottish National Party
Orkney Jim Wallace Liberal Democrats
Ross, Skye and Inverness West John Farquhar Munro Liberal Democrats
Shetland Tavish Scott Liberal Democrats
Western Isles Alasdair Morrison Labour

Changes:

[edit] Additional member results

Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Highlands and Islands
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Scottish National Party Jim Mather
Rob Gibson		 2 ±0 39,497 23.43% -4.3%
Labour Peter Peacock
Maureen Macmillan		 2 −1 37,605 22.31% -3.16
Liberal Democrats 0 0 31,655 18.78% -2.65%
Conservative Jamie McGrigor
Mary Scanlon		 2 ±0 26,989 16.01% +1.07%
Scottish Green Eleanor Scott 1 +1 13,935 8.27% +4.52%
Scottish Socialist Party 0 0 9,000 5.34% +4.46%
United Kingdom Independence Party 0 0 1,947 1.16% N/A
Robbie the Pict (Independent) 0 0 1,822 1.08% +0.51%
Countryside Party 0 0 1,768 1.05% N/A
Socialist Labour 0 0 1,617 0.96% -0.43%
Scottish People's Alliance 0 0 793 0.47% N/A
Independent 0 0 353 0.21% +0.03
Rural Party 0 0 177 0.11% N/A

Changes:

[edit] 1999 Scottish Parliament election

In the 1999 Scottish Parliament election the region elected MSPs as follows:

[edit] Constituency results

Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Highlands and Islands
Constituency Elected member Result
Argyll and Bute George Lyon Liberal Democrats gain
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Jamie Stone Liberal Democrats gain
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party gain
Moray Margaret Ewing Scottish National Party gain
Orkney Jim Wallace Liberal Democrats gain
Ross, Skye and Inverness West John Farquhar Munro Liberal Democrats gain
Shetland Tavish Scott Liberal Democrats gain
Western Isles Alasdair Morrison Labour gain

[edit] Additional member results

Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Highlands and Islands
Party Elected candidates Seats +/− Votes % +/−%
Scottish National Party Winnie Ewing
Duncan Hamilton		 2 N/A 55,593 27.73% N/A
Labour Peter Peacock
Maureen Macmillan
Rhoda Grant		 3 N/A 51,371 25.47% N/A
Liberal Democrats 0 N/A 43,226 21.43% N/A
Conservative Jamie McGrigor
Mary Scanlon		 2 N/A 30,122 14.94% N/A
Scottish Green 0 N/A 7,560 3.75% N/A
I Noble (Independent) 0 N/A 3,522 1.75% N/A
Socialist Labour 0 N/A 2,808 1.39% N/A
Highlands and Islands Alliance 0 N/A 2,607 1.29% N/A
Scottish Socialist Party 0 N/A 1,770 0.88% N/A
Robbie the Pict (Independent) 0 N/A 1,151 0.57% N/A
Independent 0 N/A 712 0.35% N/A
Natural Law 0 N/A 536 0.27% N/A
Independent 0 N/A 354 0.18% N/A

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies in 2005. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.
  2. ^ Council areas are as defined in 1996, and may be subject to change after the next Scottish Parliament election.
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