ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

What would the Scottish Tories be like today if Liam Fox, Michael Gove and Malcolm Rifkind had had to find a seat north of the border?

By Tim Montgomerie

In America, if you want to stand for office you have to stand in a state in which you have deep roots. People born in California run in California. The same is largely true in Australia. I'd be interested in readers' observations about the tradition in other countries.

There are big exceptions to this rule. Hillary Clinton's successful bid to become a Senator for New York was the most recent and most high profile example of "carpet-bagging".

I was thinking about this as I reflected on the relentless decline of the Scottish Tories. For four general elections in a row Scotland has returned one or no Tory MP. The party received just 13.9% of the vote in last week's Holyrood elections.

How different would things have been if Liam Fox (now representing a seat in Somerset), Michael Gove (Surrey), Sir Malcolm Rifkind (Kensington after losing twice in Edinburgh) and other Scottish Tories had had to find their seats north of the border? The Scottish Party would have been a completely different beast.

I don't propose regional restrictions on the candidates' list but if we are looking for explanations of why Scotland is in the grip of the SNP, northern England is increasingly Labour territory and southern England is so Conservative I think we should consider the huge, decades-long transfer of our best talents into our most winnable territories.

Final list of nominated Conservative candidates for the Scottish Parliament election

By Jonathan Isaby

Nominations closed last week for the Scottish Parliament election and later this week I will be writing about the Conservaitve Party's campaign and prospects.

For now though, here is the full list of nominated Conservative candidates for the election on May 5th, which will be fought on new boundaries after some substantial changes - hence a number of unfamiliar constituency names:

Latest YouGov poll suggests Labour will win the Scottish Parliament election, with the Lib Dems faring especially badly

By Jonathan Isaby

I'm only just catching up with an opinion poll published north of the border on Sunday in advance of the Scottish Parliament election taking place on May 5th.

According to the Sunday Herald, the Scottish Green Party commissioned YouGov to carry out the survey of 1,258 Scottish adults on February 21st and 22nd, which came up with the following findings among those who are certain to vote:

Constituency vote

• Labour - 41% (+8.8 on 2007)
• SNP - 32% (-0.9)
• Conservatives - 15% (-1.6)
• Lib Dems - 8% (-8.2)
• Others - 4% (+1.9)

Regional list vote

• Labour - 40% (+10.8 on 2007)
• SNP - 26% (-5)
• Conservatives - 15% (+1.1)
• Lib Dems - 7% (-3.3)
• Greens - 6% (+2)
• Others - 5% (-5.6)

The Scotlandvotes.com translates these numbers into a Scottish Parliament comprising:

• Labour - 59 (+13)
• SNP - 35 (-12)
• Conservatives - 19 (+2)
• Lib Dems - 9 (-7)
• Greens - 6 (+4)
• Independent - 1

This would leave Labour six seats short of an overall majority at Holyrood, giving them the option of trying to govern alone as the SNP have done these last four years, or considering forming a coalition with one of more of the smaller parties.

Regional list rankings announced for next year's Scottish Parliament elections

By Jonathan Isaby

The results have just been announced of the ballot for the regional list rankings of candidates for next year's  Scottish Parliament elections. They are as follows:

Central Scotland (2007: 1 regional MSP, 0 constituency MSPs)
1.  Margaret Mitchell MSP
2.  Robert Crozier
3.  Graham Simpson
4.  Bob Burgess
5.  Allan Finnie
6.  Mark Brown
7.  Jonathan Tidswell

Glasgow (2007: 1 regional MSP, 0 constituency MSPs)
1.  Malcolm MacAskill
2.  Ruth Davidson
3.  Martin McIntyre
4.  Iain Whyte
5.  Andrew Morrison
6.  David Meikle
7.  Richard Sullivan

Highlands & Islands (2007: 2 regional MSPs, 0 constituency MSPs)
1.  Jamie McGrigor MSP
2.  Mary Scanlon MSP
3.  Douglas Ross
4.  Edward Mountain
5.  Kerensa Carr

Lothians (2007: 1 regional MSP, 1 constituency MSP)
1. David McLetchie MSP
2. Gavin Brown MSP
3. Cameron Buchanan
4. Gordon Lindhurst
5. Iain McGill
6. Jamie Halcro Johnston
7. Scott Douglas
8. Christopher Donnelly
9. Andrew Hardie

Mid-Scotland & Fife (2007: 3 regional MSPs, 0 constituency MSPs)
1. Murdo Fraser MSP
2. Elizabeth Smith MSP
3. Miles Briggs
4. Belinda Don
5. Callum Campbell
6. Neil Benny
7. Ian McFarlane
8. Allan Smith
9. James Reekie

North East Scotland (2007: 2 regional MSPs, 0 constituency MSPs)
1.  Alex Johnstone MSP
2.  Nanette Milne MSP
3.  Jimmy Buchan
4.  Hughie Campbell Adamson
5.  Ross Thomson
6.  Stewart Whyte
7.  Geordie Burnett Stuart
8.  Sandy Wallace
9.  Colin Stewart
10. Brian Docherty

South of Scotland (2007: 1 regional MSP, 3 constituency MSPs)
1. Derek Brownlee MSP
2. John Scott MSP
3. Peter Duncan*
4. Gill Dykes
5. Grant Fergusson
6. Colin McGavigan

* John Lamont MSP was third on the list but has elected to stand solely in his existing constituency of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire 

West of Scotland (2007: 2 regional MSPs, 0 constituency MSPs)
1. Annabel Goldie MSP
2. Jackson Carlaw MSP
3. Maurice Golden
4. Stephanie Fraser
5. Alistair Haw
6. Graham Smith
7. Mark Nolan
8. Alistair Campbell
9. Gordon McCaskill

Mark Brown selected to fight Uddingston and Bellshill at the Scottish Parliament election

By Jonathan Isaby

The latest Conservative candidate to be selected for next year's Scottish Palriament elections - under redrawn boundaries with many unfamiliar constituency names - is Mark Brown, who will fight Uddingston and Bellshill.

37 years old, he is a financial services client support manager and says that he wants to “make Scotland a more responsible and consequently fairer society where everybody does their bit”:

"By making our society strong at the roots we can tackle the challenges of modern life, combat crime, nurture health and I want to support hard working families, tackle the benefits culture and give people the incentive to go out and get jobs."

He is pictured below with the leader of the Tories in the Scottish Parliament, Annabel Goldie, at the recent party conference in Birmingham, where he is wearing a tie featuring Margaret Thatcher...

Two new candidates adopted to contest Holyrood seats

By Paul Goodman

Both, I gather, for Glasgow constituencies - Ruth Davidson for Glasgow Kelvin, and Ivor Tiefenbrun for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn.

Davidson is the current head of Annabel Goldie's office, and was the Party's Parliamentary candidate in the Glasgow North-East by election.  Hamira Khan, the previous candidate, resigned due to a change in employment circumstances.  Tiefenbrun is the owner and Chairman of Linn Products Ltd.

A series of selections for the Scottish Parliament is under way.  As we reported recently,  James Reekie has been selected to fight the Scottish Parliamentary Constituency of Dunfermline.

Four more Scottish Parliament candidates in place

By Jonathan Isaby

Over recent days four more candidates have been selected to contest constituency seats at next year's Scottish Parliament elections. They are:

• Fife North East - Miles Briggs
• Glasgow Southside - David Meikle
• Inverness and Nairn - Mary Scanlon MSP
• Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale - Peter Duncan

Scottish Parliament candidates selected for two more Glasgow constituencies

By Jonathan Isaby

Two more candidates were selected last night to contest seats at next year's Scottish Parliament election. They are:

• Glasgow Anniesland - Malcolm Macaskill
• Glasgow Kelvin - Hamira Khan

21 more candidates in place for next year's Scottish Parliament election

By Jonathan Isaby

I have been alerted to the selection of 21 further candidates for next year's Scottish Parliament elections in recent days.

They are:

• Aberdeen Central - Sandy Wallace  
• Aberdeen South and North Kincardine - Stewart Whyte  
• Aberdeenshire West - Nanette Milne MSP
• Ayr - John Scott MSP
• Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley - Peter Kennerley  
• Cunninghame North - Maurice Golden 
• Dundee West - Colin Stewart 
• Dumbarton - Graham Smith
• East Lothian - Derek Brownlee MSP
• Edinburgh Northern and Leith - Jamie Halcro-Johnston  
• Edinburgh Pentlands - David McLetchie MSP
• Edinburgh Western - Gordon Lindhurst  
• Falkirk East - Jonathan Tidswell  
• Falkirk West - Graham Simpson  
• Galloway and West Dumfries - Alex Fergusson MSP
• Glasgow Cathcart - Richard Sullivan  
• Greenock and Inverclyde - Graeme Brooks  
• Linlithgow - Christopher Donnelly  
• Moray - Douglas Ross  
• Perthshire North - Murdo Fraser MSP
• Renfrewshire North and West - Annabel Goldie MSP

It was also announced this week that Ted Brocklebank, a sitting regional list MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, will not be seeking re-election.

Jamie McGrigor selected to contest Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Parliament election

By Jonathan Isaby

Another candidate has been confirmed in place to fight next year's Scottish Parliament election.

Jamie McGrigor - an MSP elected under the party list for the Highlands and Islands since 1999 - has been selected again to contest his home seat of Argyll and Bute.

He beat former list MSP Dave Petrie for the nomination and said after his local Conservatives met in Inveraray to conduct the selection:

"As an experienced and long standing MSP for Highlands and Islands, I have a very good knowledge of Argyll and Bute and I fully understand the problems and opportunities facing the people living and working here.

"I am encouraged by the recent upswing in Conservative support but my wish is to represent all of the people of Argyll and Bute as their elected MSP. It has always been my wish to win my home seat as First Past the Post.

"I look forward to meeting as many Argyll and Bute people as possible during what promises to be a vigorous and exciting campaign in these challenging times."

He fought the constituency at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election (when the SNP gained it from the Liberal Democrats and McGrigor came third) as well as having fought the equivalent seat at the 2005 general election.

John Lamont MSP re-adopted for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire at next year's Scottish Parliament election

Further to this morning's news of candidates being selected for next year's Scottish Parliament election, I learn that John Lamont has been re-adopted for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

He wrested the seat from the Lib Dems in 2007 with a majority of 1,985 - and unsuccessfully contested Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk  at the general election.

He said on his re-adoption:

“I am greatly honoured to have been readopted. It has been a great privilege to have served the people of Roxburgh and Berwickshire during the last few years and I look forward to continuing to work hard on their behalf in the future.

“With the Scottish constituencies being enlarged, I now look forward to working hard on behalf of residents in Selkirk and the Ettrick and Yarrow valleys. The constituency might be larger, but my commitment to every community, no matter how small, will remain."

Jonathan Isaby

First six candidates selected for next year's Scottish Parliament elections

The first six Conservative candidates to be contesting constituency seats at next year's Scottish Parliament election have recently been selected. They are:

• Alex Johnstone MSP – Angus North and Mearns
• Gillian Dykes – Dumfriesshire
• Jackson Carlaw MSP – Eastwood
• Iain McGill – Edinburgh Central
• Gavin Brown MSP – Edinburgh Southern
• Elizabeth Smith MSP – Perthshire South and Kinross-shire

NB In the tags attached to the article the constituency names are marked with an asterisk, as will be the case over the coming year for all constituencies in both the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. This is to differentiate them from constituencies for Westminster seats, some of which have the same or very similar names (if not the same boundaries).

Jonathan Isaby

Scottish regional list selection

The Scottish Conservative Candidates' Board and the Scottish Executive have decided on the rules for the List process in 2007.

Only constituency candidates, with a proven commitment to their constituency campaigns, are eligible for ranking in the regional lists. Party members in each of the seven regions will then rank them in a postal ballot.

However, candidates will again be highly restricted in their campaigning activities before and during the ranking period, despite some earlier assurances to the contrary. They are banned from soliciting support from members in any way other than with one A4 piece of paper, one hustings, and a CV sent out with the ballot papers. So members are allowed to have in a say in the rankings, but not to determine their vote by being canvassed or emailed.

This restriction on campaigning will help to entrench sitting regional MSPs who are already better known outside of their own constituencies. Most of the many young and able candidates fighting no-hope constituencies will have little chance of getting the top couple of regional rankings. These proposals have stirred some Scottish activists as much as the Vote blue, get red issue as Holyrood's Conservative group is often accused of having "gone native" and to be in need of new blood.

Brian Monteith MSP advocates a fresh approach to solve the problem:

"We have heard a great deal of tosh about a new Scottish politics that Holyrood would usher in - and it hasn't happened.  Open primaries could be the harbinger of that change by working with the Scottish people's innate support for democracy, debate and giving people their say."

Open primaries would also give Conservative MSPs the personal electoral mandates that are lacking in the closed party list system.