Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Former county constituency
for the Scottish Parliament

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Former constituency
Created 1999
Abolished 2011
Council area Highland
Replaced by Caithness, Sutherland and Ross

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood), in use between 1999 and 2011. It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it was one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

For the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was redrawn and included as part of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, along with part of Ross, Skye and Inverness West.

Electoral region

The other seven constituencies of the Highlands and Islands electoral region during the constituency's existence were Argyll and Bute, Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Moray, Orkney, Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Shetland and the Western Isles.

The region covers most of Argyll and Bute council area, all of the Highland council area, most of the Moray council area, all of the Orkney council area, all of the Shetland council area and all of Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of a pre-existing Westminster (House of Commons) constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster constituencies were generally replaced with new larger constituencies.[1] The Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Westminster constituency was enlarged slightly, to cover an area also covered by the Ross, Skye and Inverness West Holyrood constituency.

Boundary Review

See Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions from 2011

Following their First Periodic review into constituencies to the Scottish Parliament, the Boundary Commission for Scotland has formed a newly drawn seat to succeed Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross in time for the next election in 2011. The new constituency also includes part of the Ross, Skye and Inverness West constituency, and is to be known as Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross.

Council area

See also Politics of the Highland council area

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross was the most northerly of three constituencies covering the Highland council area. The other two were Ross, Skye and Inverness West and Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber. All three were within the Highlands and Islands electoral region. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross has Ross, Skye and Inverness West on its southern boundary. Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber is further south.

When created in 1999 the constituency boundaries were definable with reference to council wards which were grouped, by the Highland Council, in relation to eight council management areas. Constituency and management area names have many elements in common, and the management areas had the boundaries of former districts of the Highland region, as abolished in 1996, namely Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh, Inverness, Nairn, Lochaber and Badenoch and Strathspey.

The management areas were abolished this year, 2007, and the council has now three new corporate management areas, defined as groups of new wards, also introduced this year, 2007. The boundaries of the corporate management areas are similar to those of Westminster constituencies created in 2005. One corporate management area, the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross area, has boundaries, therefore, which are also similar to those of a Holyrood constituency. The boundaries of the other two corporate areas, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber area and the Inverness, Nairn, and Badenoch and Strathspey area, are quite unlike those of any Holyrood constituency.

The most recent general election of the Highland Council was in 2007, and its current political composition is as follows:

Independents Scottish National Party Liberal Democrats Labour
35 23 14 8

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 Jamie Stone Liberal Democrat
2003
2007

Election results

Scottish Parliament election, 2007: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jamie Stone 8,981 40.2 +3.6
SNP Rob Gibson 6,658 29.8 +12.3
Labour John McKendrick 3,152 14.1 -12.6
Conservative Donald McDonald 2,586 11.6 +0.9
Independent Gordon Campbell 957 4.3 +4.3
Majority 2,323 10.4
Turnout 22,334 53.4 +1.2
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jamie Stone 7,742 36.7 - 4.4
Labour Deirdrie Stephen 5,650 26.7 + 2.2
SNP Rob Gibson 3,692 17.5 - 5.7
Conservative Allan McLeod 2,262 10.7 + 1.8
Independent Gordon Campbell 953 4.5 + 2.4
Scottish Socialist Frank Ward 828 3.9 (+ 3.9)
Majority 2,092 9.9 - 7.0
Turnout
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jamie Stone 10,691 41.0 N/A
Labour James Hendry 6,300 24.2 N/A
SNP Jean Urquhart 6,035 23.2 N/A
Conservative Richard Jenkins 2,167 8.3 N/A
Independent Gordon Campbell 554 2.1 N/A
Independent Ewen Stewart 282 1.0 N/A
Majority 4,391 16.9 N/A
Turnout

Footnotes

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

See also