Ross Skye and Lochaber
2010 Results:
Conservative: 4260 (12.23%)
Labour: 5265 (15.11%)
Liberal Democrat: 18335 (52.63%)
SNP: 5263 (15.11%)
UKIP: 659 (1.89%)
Green: 777 (2.23%)
Independent: 279 (0.8%)
Majority: 13070 (37.52%)
2005 Results:
Liberal Democrat: 19100 (58.7%)
Labour: 4851 (14.9%)
Conservative: 3275 (10.1%)
SNP: 3119 (9.6%)
Other: 2193 (6.7%)
Majority: 14249 (43.8%)
Boundary changes prior to 2005 election: Name of seat changed from Ross, Skye and Inverness West.
2001 Result
Conservative: 3096 (8.9%)
Labour: 5880 (16.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 18832 (54.1%)
SNP: 4901 (14.1%)
UKIP: 456 (1.3%)
Green: 699 (2%)
Other: 948 (2.7%)
Majority: 12952 (37.2%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 4368 (10.9%)
Labour: 11453 (28.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 15472 (38.7%)
SNP: 7821 (19.6%)
Referendum: 535 (1.3%)
Other: 306 (0.8%)
Majority: 4019 (10.1%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile:
Current MP: Charles Kennedy(Liberal Democrat) (more information at They work for you)
Donald Cameron (Conservative) born 1976, Lochaber. Educated at Oxford University. Advocate. Contested Linlithgow and Lothians region in 2007 Scottish elections.John McKendrick (Labour) Charles Kennedy(Liberal Democrat) (more information at They work for you)Alasdair Stephen (SNP)Eleanor Scott (Green) Philip Anderson (UKIP) Ronnie Campbell (Independent)2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 62384
Male: 48.9%
Female: 51.1%
Under 18: 23.2%
Over 60: 22.8%
Born outside UK: 3.3%
White: 99.2%
Asian: 0.3%
Mixed: 0.2%
Other: 0.2%
Christian: 69.4%
Graduates 16-74: 21.3%
No Qualifications 16-74: 32.2%
Owner-Occupied: 66.6%
Social Housing: 20.2% (Council: 17.2%, Housing Ass.: 2.9%)
Privately Rented: 8.6%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 8.9%
My understanding of the Bill is that the average number of voters per Scottish MP will indeed be lower than those in England, because of the special status afforded to the island constituencies.
That is disgraceful. Scotland doesn’t require the same level of representation as England since devolution.
If the islands are that special (and I don’t believe they are) then then the rest of Scotland should be prepared to endure oversized seats, so that on balance, Scotland has the correct number of MPs.
I sense theres still some bitterness on his part as to the fact he is no longer leader or even a front bench player – he is still clearly popular among LIb Dem grassroots – maybe a future Lib Dem President?
He’s yesterday’s man.
A position he held before he was leader of course giving rise to endless hackneyed ‘President Kennedy’ gags.
RB I agree with you entirely
Pete, thanks for the reassurrance.
Robberbaron. The only real answer to the “West Lothian” question is to devolve power within England, either to regions or to large local authorities, similar (with minor differences e.g. to cater for the different legal systems) to tose now devolved in Scotland. Which, to be fair, was, before they joined the coalition, LibDem policy – and certainly not that of the Tories or Labour.
I am afraid I agree with you that Kennedy is yesterday’s man, which is a tragedy for someone only in middle age.
A career at Westminster has in the end done Kennedy no favours and one would wish for a happier future for him than one of the likely scenarios if he stays washed up on the back benches.Although the Whips etc. may well give him, providing he stays in line, support systems that he needs.
Sorry Frederic but it was not reassurance. The apportionment is decided after taking out the electorate for the two overrepresented island seats, in other words the compensation for this is spread across the whole UK.
I shall try to illustrate. based on the electorates at the time of the 2010 election the electorate in each part of the UK was as follows (rounded)
England 38,298,000
Scotland 3,865,000
Wales 2,260,000
NI 1,170,000
On an equitable distribution of seats this would give England 504 seats, Scotland 51, Wales 30 and Nortthern Ireland 15. What you and I would like to happen is that the two undersized seats count as 2 of those 51 and that the rest of Scotland is divided into 49 seats which would mean they have a slightly higher average eletorate (77,750 compared with about 76,000 in England & Wales.)
However this is not what is happening. The calculations for the remaining 598 seats are made after subtracting the eletcorate of O&S and W Isles.
This means that dividing up 598 seats between England, Wales, NI and the remaining electorate of Scotland would give England 503 seats, Scotland (-isles) 50, Wales 30 and NI 15. Thus England loses a seat and Scotland gains one.
These are not the figures on which the review will be based and the quotas may end up different but it does seem probable that as a result of calculating in this way that Scotland will receive an extra seat which it would not be entitled to on strict arithmetic and this will come at the expense of England
One extra seat for Scotland at England’s expense is just about acceptable as long as it doesn’t increase over time somehow as things tend to do.
I’m not addressing the West Lothian question.
I just think that if Scottish MPs get to vote* on English matters domestic then they might at least be expected to obtain the same mandate as an MP for an English seat**.
*rightly or wrongly
**they probably should be under-represented as was Northern Ireland 1922-72
“One extra seat for Scotland at England’s expense is just about acceptable as long as it doesn’t increase over time somehow as things tend to do.”
No its not.
Instead the Scottish and Welsh seats should be reduced by one third as the Northern Irish ones were before 1983.
I would prefer Scotland to get the seats it deserves just as England will do.
Indeed. The solution to the unequal treatment of the English in not running our own affairs is not to introduce more inequality in an opposing direction.
It is only really Labour that is bothered about the number of seats retained in Scotland above the electoral quota. Alex Salmond has usually stated that he would like to see no Scottish MP’s at Westminster.
Thank you Pete for your analysis.
Giving Scotland an extra seat at the expense of the English may not have any big effect, but for democracy principles matter.
It cannot be said too often that the only real answer is similar degrees of devolution throughout the UK. As Scotland and Wales are not going to give back the powers they have acquired, that means devolution within England. Whilst there are considerable problems as to what units should be involved – certainly not the unlamented regional ones that have just been abolished – this doesn’t detract from the principle. Historical areas such as Cornwall, Kent, Greater Lancashire, Anglia, Mercia, Wessex and Yorkshire would be more appropriate.