Scottish Government Election and AV Referendum Tomorrow

[John S]

Hi All, Don't for get to go and vote tomorrow, Good luck to the candidates. I am hoping for an increased majority for the SNP in the next parliament and expect Mike Russell to increase the majority for the SNP here. Feedback from the public has been very very good.

[John S]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote on Thursday and helped make history.

We now have 3 MSP's based in Argyll. Congratulations to Michel Russell who won the Argyll & Bute Constituency seat and to Mike MacKenzie and Jamie MacGrigor both elected on the Highlands & Islands List.

Here are the results

http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2011 ... parliament
http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2011 ... nds-region

[jamiemcivor]

Not a party political comment so please don't misunderstand this...

But Mike Russell is, I believe, the first person to get more than 50% of the vote in the Argyll and Bute constituency in either the Holyrood or Westminster elections in modern times.

I think the last time a candidate secured more than 50% of the vote was back in the days before electors had a choice of four mainstream candidates. (In the 50s and 60s the Liberals and the SNP did not contest every constituency. Someone may know better, but I think I'm correct in saying the 1970 General Election was the first time the SNP stood in every mainland Scottish seat... and the first time since the war when the Liberals had stood in every seat across Great Britain.)

[John A]

Mike Russell is, I believe, the first person to get more than 50% of the vote in the Argyll and Bute constituency in either the Holyrood or Westminster elections in modern times.

I think the last time a candidate secured more than 50% of the vote was back in the days before electors had a choice of four mainstream candidates. (In the 50s and 60s the Liberals and the SNP did not contest every constituency. Someone may know better, but I think I'm correct in saying the 1970 General Election was the first time the SNP stood in every mainland Scottish seat... and the first time since the war when the Liberals had stood in every seat across Great Britain.)

First time since 1959 Jamie

1959 election
MAC Noble Conservative 16,599 58.40%
D Nisbet Labour 7,356 25.88%
GE Noel Liberal 4,469 15.72%

A home rule candidate stood in the 1950 election
D McCallum Conservative 19,259 66.49%
I Nicholson Labour 9,215 31.82%
MSMcP Holt Scottish Home Rule 490 1.69%

1970 was the first time the SNP stood in Argyll but the liberals didn't stand in Argyll from 1970 till 1979 when Rae Michie stood for the first time.

[jamiemcivor]

Cheers John.

I didn't realise the Liberals didn't contest Argyll in the 70s as by then they did stand nearly everywhere... yet, of course, they stood in some earlier elections.

[WC1]

I didn't realise the Liberals didn't contest Argyll in the 70s as by then they did stand nearly everywhere... yet, of course, they stood in some earlier elections.

I wonder if that was because the local Liberal candidate, John McKay, had by then gone over to the Tories. He was the Liberal in Argyll in the '64 and '66 elections, when Duncan McMillan got Labour up into second place and was pressing Michael Noble, the Tory, pretty hard. By 1970 the Labour candidate was John McFadden, whose widow, Jean, is still prominent in Labour circles in Glasgow, but the SNP made big inroads in the 70s and John wasn't able to continue with the Labour surge. I canvassed door-to-door on Islay and in the Tarbert and Campbeltown areas in June 1970 and it was clear that a lot of support was moving towards the SNP. I remember meeting Norman and Janey Buchan - great Labour stalwarts - in Kempock Street in Gourock, of all places, on the day after the election and having an impromptu 'greeting meeting' to bemoan the SNP's great leap forward. Little did we foresee what they would achieve in 2011! Thought wee Eck sounded quite statesman-like yesterday, btw.

[Swanseajock]

Cheers John.

I didn't realise the Liberals didn't contest Argyll in the 70s as by then they did stand nearly everywhere... yet, of course, they stood in some earlier elections.

I remember getting an 18th birthday card from Ray Mitchie at the end of the 70's. Didn't vote for her(or anyone for many yeards come to that). She was a Liberal, was she not

[jamiemcivor]

I could never imagine Labour winning Argyll and Bute... but it's interesting to wonder what might have happened if DL had remained the Labour candidate and built up a personal vote.

#Swanseajock. Ray was indeed a Liberal and her father was one of the leading lights of the Liberal Party in Scotland during its years in the wilderness. I got an 18th birthday card from her but, of course, at that time she was our MP and it was common practice for MPs to send out cards to constituents who'd reached the age of majority.