2003 Scottish Parliament election
The 2003 Scottish Parliament election, was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, remained in office as First Minister for a second term and the Executive continued as a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition. As of 2016, it remains the last Scottish Parliament election victory for the Scottish Labour Party.
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All 129 seats to the Scottish Parliament 65 seats were needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | FPTP - 49.7% ![]() List - 49.7% ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() The left side shows constituency winners of the election by their party colours. The right side shows regional winners of the election for the additional members by their party colours. Constituency names are listed at the bottom. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The results also showed rises in support for smaller parties, including the Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and declines in support for the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP). The Conservative and Unionist Party and the Scottish Liberal Democrats each polled almost exactly the same percentage of the vote as they had in the 1999 election, with each holding the same number of seats as before.
Three independent MSPs were elected: Dennis Canavan, Margo MacDonald and Jean Turner. John Swinburne, leader of the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, was also elected. This led to talk of a "rainbow" Parliament, but the arithmetic meant that the coalition of Labour and Scottish Liberal Democrats could continue in office, which they did until the 2007 election.
The decline in support for the SNP was viewed by some as a rejection of the case for Scottish independence. Others argued against this, pointing out that the number of MSPs in favour of independence actually rose because most of the minor parties such as the SSP share this position with the SNP.
This article is part of a series on the |
Politics of Scotland |
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Retiring MSPs
At the dissolution of Parliament on 31 March 2003, ten MSPs were not seeking re-election.[1]
Campaign
The parliament was dissolved on 31 March 2003 and the campaign began thereafter.
Party leaders in 2003
- Labour – Jack McConnell
- SNP – John Swinney
- Conservative – David McLetchie
- Liberal Democrat – Jim Wallace
- Greens – Robin Harper & Eleanor Scott (co-chairs)
- SSP – Tommy Sheridan
Labour
SNP
The New Party
- Keith Harding, Mid Scotland and Fife (elected as a Conservative)
- Lyndsay McIntosh, Central Scotland (elected as a Conservative)
Results
50 | 17 | 27 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 3 | |
Labour | Lib Dems | SNP | Conservative | Green | SSP | OTH |
← Scottish Parliament election, 2003[2] → | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Party | Constituencies | Regional additional members | Total seats | |||||||||||||
Votes | % | ± | Seats | ± | Votes | % | ± | Seats | ± | Total | ± | % | ||||
Labour | 663,585 | 34.6 | ![]() |
46 | ![]() |
561,375 | 29.3 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
50 | ![]() |
38.8 | |||
SNP | 455,722 | 23.8 | ![]() |
9 | ![]() |
399,659 | 20.9 | ![]() |
18 | ![]() |
27 | ![]() |
20.9 | |||
Conservative | 318,279 | 16.6 | ![]() |
3 | ![]() |
296,929 | 15.5 | ![]() |
15 | ![]() |
18 | ![]() |
14.0 | |||
Liberal Democrats | 294,347 | 15.4 | ![]() |
13 | ![]() |
225,774 | 11.8 | ![]() |
4 | ![]() |
17 | ![]() |
13.2 | |||
Scottish Green | – | – | – | – | – | 132,138 | 6.9 | ![]() |
7 | ![]() |
7 | ![]() |
5.4 | |||
Scottish Socialist | 118,764 | 6.2 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
128,026 | 6.7 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
6 | ![]() |
4.7 | |||
Scottish Senior Citizens | 1,597 | 0.1 | new | 0 | new | 28,966 | 1.5 | new | 1 | new | 1 | new | 0.8 | |||
Margo MacDonald | – | – | – | – | – | 27,143 | 1.4 | new | 1 | new | 1 | new | 0.8 | |||
MSP for Falkirk West | 14,703 | 0.8 | ![]() |
1 | ![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | 1 | ![]() |
0.8 | |||
Save Stobhill Hospital | 10,988 | 0.6 | new | 1 | new | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | new | 0.8 | |||
Pensioners Party | – | – | – | – | – | 28,655 | 1.5 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Socialist Labour | – | – | – | – | – | 21,657 | 1.1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0.0 | |||
New Party | 5,598 | 0.3 | new | 0 | new | 7,718 | 0.4 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
UKIP | – | – | – | – | – | 11,969 | 0.6 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Scottish Unionist | – | – | – | – | – | 6,113 | 0.3 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0.0 | |||
Local Health Concern | 5,582 | 0.3 | new | 0 | new | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Fishing Party | – | – | – | – | – | 5,566 | 0.3 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
BNP | – | – | – | – | – | 2,344 | 0.1 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Protect Rural Scotland | – | – | – | – | – | 1,438 | 0.1 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Independent Green Voice | 1,300 | 0.1 | new | 0 | new | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Christian Independent Alliance | – | – | – | – | – | 1,064 | 0.1 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Adam Lyal's Witchery Tour | – | – | – | – | – | 964 | 0.1 | new | 0 | new | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Parents Excluded | 141 | 0.0 | new | 0 | new | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | new | 0.0 | |||
Others | 25,968 | 1.4 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
28,323 | 1.5 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() |
0.0 | |||
Valid votes | 1,916,574 | 99.4 | ![]() | 1,915,851 | 99.4 | ![]() | ||||||||||
Spoilt votes | 12,303 | 0.6 | ![]() | 11,938 | 0.6 | ![]() | ||||||||||
Total | 1,928,877 | 100 | 73 | – | 1,927,789 | 100 | 56 | – | 129 | – | 100 | |||||
Electorate/Turnout | 3,877,460 | 49.7 | ![]() | 3,877,460 | 49.7 | ![]() |
Notes:
- The Scottish Greens did not stand in any constituencies, instead concentrating their resources on winning the largest possible share of the "second" vote for 'list' seats.
Constituency and regional summary
Central Scotland
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Central Scotland | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Airdrie and Shotts | Karen Whitefield | Labour hold | ||||
Coatbridge and Chryston | Elaine Smith | Labour hold | ||||
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | Cathie Craigie | Labour hold | ||||
East Kilbride | Andy Kerr | Labour hold | ||||
Falkirk East | Cathy Peattie | Labour hold | ||||
Falkirk West | Dennis Canavan | Independent hold | ||||
Hamilton North and Bellshill | Michael McMahon | Labour hold | ||||
Hamilton South | Tom McCabe | Labour hold | ||||
Kilmarnock and Loudoun | Margaret Jamieson | Labour hold | ||||
Motherwell and Wishaw | Jack McConnell | Labour hold |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Central Scotland | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Alex Neil Michael Matheson Linda Fabiani |
3 | −2 | 59,274 | 22.53% | -5.25% | |
Conservative | Margaret Mitchell | 1 | ±0 | 24,121 | 9.17% | +0.02% | |
Scottish Socialist | Carolyn Leckie | 1 | +1 | 19,016 | 7.23% | +5.49% | |
Scottish Senior Citizens | John Swinburne | 1 | +1 | 17,146 | 6.52% | N/A | |
Liberal Democrats | Donald Gorrie | 1 | ±0 | 15,494 | 5.89% | -0.31% |
Glasgow
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Glasgow | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Glasgow Anniesland | Bill Butler | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Baillieston | Margaret Curran | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Cathcart | Mike Watson | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Govan | Gordon Jackson | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Kelvin | Pauline McNeill | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Maryhill | Patricia Ferguson | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Pollok | Johann Lamont | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Rutherglen | Janis Hughes | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Shettleston | Frank McAveety | Labour hold | ||||
Glasgow Springburn | Paul Martin | Labour hold |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Glasgow | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Nicola Sturgeon Sandra White |
2 | −2 | 34,894 | 17.1% | -8.4% | |
Scottish Socialist | Tommy Sheridan Rosie Kane |
2 | +1 | 31,216 | 15.2% | +8.0% | |
Conservative | Bill Aitken | 1 | ±0 | 15,299 | 7.5% | -0.4% | |
Liberal Democrats | Robert Brown | 1 | ±0 | 14,839 | 7.5% | -0.4% | |
Scottish Green | Patrick Harvie | 1 | +1 | 14,570 | 7.1% | +3.1% |
Highlands and Islands
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Highlands and Islands | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Argyll and Bute | George Lyon | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross | Jamie Stone | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber | Fergus Ewing | SNP | ||||
Moray | Margaret Ewing | SNP | ||||
Orkney | Jim Wallace | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Ross, Skye and Inverness West | John Farquhar Munro | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Shetland | Tavish Scott | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Western Isles | Alasdair Morrison | Labour |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Highlands and Islands | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Jim Mather Rob Gibson |
2 | ±0 | 39,497 | 23.43% | -4.3% | |
Labour | Peter Peacock Maureen Macmillan |
2 | −1 | 37,605 | 22.31% | -3.16 | |
Conservative | Jamie McGrigor Mary Scanlon |
2 | ±0 | 26,989 | 16.01% | +1.07% | |
Scottish Green | Eleanor Scott | 1 | +1 | 13,935 | 8.27% | +4.52% |
Lothians
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Lothians | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Edinburgh Central | Sarah Boyack | Labour hold | ||||
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh | Susan Deacon | Labour hold | ||||
Edinburgh North and Leith | Malcolm Chisholm | Labour hold | ||||
Edinburgh Pentlands | David McLetchie | Conservative gain from Labour | ||||
Edinburgh South | Mike Pringle | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | ||||
Edinburgh West | Margaret Smith | Liberal Democrats hold | ||||
Linlithgow | Mary Mulligan | Labour hold | ||||
Livingston | Bristow Muldoon | Labour hold | ||||
Midlothian | Rhona Brankin | Labour hold |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Lothians | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Kenny MacAskill Fiona Hyslop |
2 | −1 | 43,142 | 16.2% | -9.5% | |
Conservative | James Douglas-Hamilton | 1 | −1 | 40,173 | 15.1% | -0.6% | |
Scottish Green | Robin Harper Mark Ballard |
2 | +1 | 31,908 | 12.0% | +5.1% | |
Independent | Margo MacDonald | 1 | +1 | 27,143 | 10.2% | N/A | |
Scottish Socialist | Colin Fox | 1 | +1 | 14,448 | 5.4% | +3.8% |
Mid Scotland and Fife
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Mid Scotland and Fife | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Dunfermline East | Helen Eadie | Labour | ||||
Dunfermline West | Scott Barrie | Labour | ||||
Fife Central | Christine May | Labour | ||||
Fife North East | Iain Smith | Liberal Democrats | ||||
Kirkcaldy | Marilyn Livingstone | Labour | ||||
North Tayside | John Swinney | SNP | ||||
Ochil | George Reid | SNP | ||||
Perth | Roseanna Cunningham | SNP | ||||
Stirling | Sylvia Jackson | Labour |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Mid Scotland and Fife | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Bruce Crawford Tricia Marwick |
2 | −1 | 57,631 | 23.0% | -5.7% | |
Conservative | Murdo Fraser Brian Monteith Ted Brocklebank |
3 | ±0 | 43,941 | 17.6% | -1.0% | |
Liberal Democrats | Keith Raffan | 1 | ±0 | 30,112 | 12.0% | -0.7% | |
Scottish Green | Mark Ruskell | 1 | +1 | 17,147 | 6.9% | +3.0% |
North East Scotland
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: North East Scotland | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Aberdeen Central | Lewis Macdonald | Labour hold | ||||
Aberdeen North | Brian Adam | SNP gain from Labour | ||||
Aberdeen South | Nicol Stephen | Liberal Democrats hold | ||||
Angus | Andrew Welsh | SNP hold | ||||
Banff and Buchan | Stewart Stevenson | SNP hold | ||||
Dundee East | Shona Robison | SNP gain from Labour | ||||
Dundee West | Kate Maclean | Labour hold | ||||
Gordon | Nora Radcliffe | Liberal Democrats hold | ||||
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine | Mike Rumbles | Liberal Democrats hold |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: North East Scotland | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Richard Lochhead | 1 | −3 | 66,463 | 27.3% | -5.0% | |
Labour | Marlyn Glen Richard Baker |
2 | +2 | 49,189 | 20.2% | -5.3% | |
Conservative | David Davidson Nanette Milne Alex Johnstone |
3 | ±0 | 42,318 | 17.4% | -0.9% | |
Scottish Green | Shiona Baird | 1 | +1 | 12,724 | 5.2% | +2.4% |
South of Scotland
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: South of Scotland | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
Conservative | Phil Gallie David Mundell |
2 | −1 | 63,827 | 24.2% | +2.6% | |
SNP | Christine Grahame Adam Ingram Alasdair Morgan |
3 | ±0 | 48,371 | 18.4% | -6.7% | |
Scottish Green | Chris Ballance | 1 | +1 | 15,062 | 5.7% | +2.7% | |
Scottish Socialist | Rosemary Byrne | 1 | +1 | 14,228 | 5.4% | +4.4% |
West of Scotland
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: West of Scotland | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency | Elected member | Result | ||||
Clydebank and Milngavie | Des McNulty | Labour | ||||
Cunninghame North | Allan Wilson | Labour | ||||
Dumbarton | Jackie Baillie | Labour | ||||
Eastwood | Kenneth Macintosh | Labour | ||||
Greenock and Inverclyde | Duncan McNeil | Labour | ||||
Paisley North | Wendy Alexander | Labour | ||||
Paisley South | Hugh Henry | Labour | ||||
Strathkelvin and Bearsden | Jean Turner | Independent | ||||
West Renfrewshire | Patricia Godman | Labour |
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: West of Scotland | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Elected candidates | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | +/−% | |
SNP | Campbell Martin Bruce McFee Stewart Maxwell |
3 | −1 | 50,387 | 19.6% | -6.3% | |
Conservative | Annabel Goldie Murray Tosh |
2 | ±0 | 40,261 | 15.7% | – | |
Liberal Democrats | Ross Finnie | 1 | ±0 | 31,580 | 12.3% | +1.3% | |
Scottish Socialist | Frances Curran | 1 | +1 | 18,591 | 7.2% | +5.3 |
Coalition
As part of the coalition deal between Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Labour allowed proportional representation to be used in Scottish local government elections. This system was first used in 2007.
Party political and administration costs
The Lib Dems declared a total of £130,358 was spent on the campaign, SSP spent £74,361 the Greens spent £65,852 and the Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party spent 3,558. The Scottish People's Alliance spent £188,889 and UKIP spent £39,504.[3]
See also
References
- "Farewell to the parliament". BBC News. 2 April 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- "Analysis of Results". www.parliament.scot. 10 July 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- "Figures reveal election spending". BBC News. 27 August 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2018.