Friday 2 May 2003

Report from a tired blogger

The final results of the Scottish parliamentary election are in after a long wait for the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency (held by the Lib Dems) and, consequently, the South of Scotland regional list announcement
Conservatives 18 seats (down 1, but two of their previous 19 MSPs had defected at the last minute to the Scottish People's Alliance and failed to get re-elected)
Greens 7 seats (up 6)
Labour 50 seats (down 5)
Liberal Democrat 17 seats (no change)
Scottish Socialists 6 seats (up 5)
Scottish Nationalists 27 seats (down 6)
Others 4 seats (up 1)

The big winners, then, are the Greens and the (Marxist) Scottish Socialists with Labour and the SNP being the main losers, although Labour still has a huge block of seats and will lead the new government.

Previously, the 3 "others" were:

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West), formerly a left-wing Labour MP for the constituency who wasn't selected to fight the seat at the previous (and first) election for the Scottish parliament but who then fought as an independent and won. He is back in with a big majority.

Margo McDonald (Lothian Region list), previously elected as a Nationalist but fell out with the party and became an independent. Now re-elected as such following a very high-profile campaign against the runaway costs of the new parliament building.

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow Regional list) also fell out with the Nationalists and did not stand this time.

The two new "others" are
John Swinburne (Central Region list) of the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden), a retired GP fighting to keep a local hospital open.

More to follow.