- Ayr by-election, 2000
The Ayr by-election on
March 16 ,2000 was the firstby-election for theScottish Parliament that had been established the year previously. It was caused by the resignation ofIan Welsh who had been elected at theScottish Parliamentary Election, 1999 . Welsh resigned to spend more time with his family.The result was a poor one for the Labour Party, which had won the seat in the previous year, albeit with a majority of just 25. Labour fell into third place behind the
Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Conservative Party.This by-election showed a strange effect in the Scottish AMS electoral system. The Labour Party in the
South of Scotland region had won 7 seats, all asfirst past the post constituencies and none on the list system throughproportional representation , whilst the Conservative and Unionists had won 4 seats in South of Scotland through the proportional representation system. By winning the Ayr seat at the by-election the Conservatives had technically greater representation than their 1999 results would have proportionally given them. This is an anomaly that theScotland Act 1998 does not cater for.Result
Election box begin no clear
title= Ayr Scottish Parliament By-electionElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = John Scott
votes = 12,580
percentage = 39.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate =Jim Mather
votes = 9,236
percentage = 29.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Labour Party (UK)
candidate = Rita Miller
votes = 7,054
percentage = 22.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = James Stewart
votes = 1,345
percentage = 4.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
candidate = Stuart Ritchie
votes = 800
percentage = 2.5
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Green Party
candidate = Gavin Corbett
votes = 460
percentage = 1.4
change = Election box candidate
party = The Radio Vet
candidate = William Botcherby
votes = 186
percentage = 0.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = United Kingdom Independence Party
candidate = Alistair McConnachie
votes = 113
percentage = 0.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = ProLife Alliance
candidate = Robert Graham
votes = 111
percentage = 0.4
change = Election box candidate
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Kevin Dillion
votes = 15
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 3,344
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes = 31,900
percentage =
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = Labour Party (UK)
swing =cottish Parliament Election result, 1999
ee also
*
Ayr (Scottish Parliament constituency)
*Ayr (UK Parliament constituency)
*Elections in Scotland
*List of Scottish Parliamentary by-elections
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