Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Scottish Parliament constituency infobox
Name = Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Type = county


Region = Highlands and Islands
Year = 1999
MSP = Jamie Stone
Party = Liberal Democrat
Council = Highland

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is 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.

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

Electoral region

The other seven constituencies of the Highlands and Islands electoral region are 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 [See [http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ "The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland] "] . 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.

Council area

:"See also "Politics of the Highland council area

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is the most northerly of three constituencies covering the Highland council area. The other two are Ross, Skye and Inverness West and Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber. All three are 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 commposition is as follows:

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Jamie Stone
votes = 8,981
percentage = 40.2
change = +3.6 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Rob Gibson
votes = 6,658
percentage = 29.8
change = +12.3 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = John McKendrick
votes = 3,152
percentage = 14.1
change = -12.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
candidate = Donald McDonald
votes = 2,586
percentage = 11.6
change = +0.9 Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Gordon Campbell
votes = 957
percentage = 4.3
change = +4.3Election box majority
votes = 2,323
percentage = 10.4
change = Election box turnout
votes = 22,334
percentage = 53.4
change = +1.2Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Liberal Democrats
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Jamie Stone
votes = 7,742
percentage = 36.7
change = - 4.4 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Deirdrie Stephen
votes = 5,650
percentage = 26.7
change = + 2.2 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Rob Gibson
votes = 3,692
percentage = 17.5
change = - 5.7 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Allan McLeod
votes = 2,262
percentage = 10.7
change = + 1.8 Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Gordon Campbell
votes = 953
percentage = 4.5
change = + 2.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = Frank Ward
votes = 828
percentage = 3.9
change = (+ 3.9) Election box majority
votes = 2,092
percentage = 9.9
change = - 7.0 Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Liberal Democrats
loser =
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Jamie Stone
votes = 10,691
percentage = 41.0
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = James Hendry
votes = 6,300
percentage = 24.2
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Jean Urquhart
votes = 6,035
percentage = 23.2
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Richard Jenkins
votes = 2,167
percentage = 8.3
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Gordon Campbell
votes = 554
percentage = 2.1
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Ewen Stewart
votes = 282
percentage = 1.0
change = N/A Election box majority
votes = 4,391
percentage = 16.9
change = N/A Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box end

Footnotes

See also