Scots Pairlament election, 2007

The Scots pairlamentary walin, 2007, wis the thrid general election tae the devolved Scots Pairlament syne it wis creatit in 1999. It teuk place on Thuirsday 3 Mey. The Scots National Pairty bore the gree in the election, winnin the maist seats o onie pairty (47 seats, tae 46 for Labour, the umwhile governin pairty), but no eneuch tae form a majority govrenment or stable coalition, leadin tae the formation o an SNP minority govrenment.

Scots Pairlament election, 2007

3 May 2007
Aw 129 seats in the Scots Pairlament 65 seats needit for a majority
Opeenion polls
Turnoot	FPTP - 53.9% 4.2% List - 54.0% 4.3%
Leader Alex Salmond Jack McConnell Annabel Goldie Pairty SNP Labour Scots Tories Constituency vote 664,227 648,374 334,743 % and swing 32.9% 9.1% 32.1% 2.5% 16.6% Regional vote 633,611 595,415 284,035 % and swing 31.0% 10.1% 29.2% 0.2% 13.9% 1.6%   Leader Nicol Stephen Robin Harper and Shiona Baird Pairty Leeberal Democrats Scots Greens Constituency vote 326,232 2,971 % and swing 16.2% 0.8% 0.1% 0.1% Regional vote 230,651 82,577 % and swing 11.3% 0.5% 4.0% 2.9%
Constituency wunners o the election are shawn on the left, bi pairty colour. On the richt is adeetional memmers for regions, alsae bi pairty colour
First Meenister afore election Jack McConnell Labour First Meenister-designate Alex Salmond SNP

Apairt frae the defeat o Labour bi the SNP, the election wis mairkit bi the faw in support for the smawer pairties: the Scots Socialist Pairty, Solidarity, an the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party (Scots Seniour Ceetizen's Unity Pairty) aw tint aw thair seats, while the Scots Green Pairty went frae haein seeven seats tae twa juist.

Election seestem

The walin wis the first uisin consteituencies that arna identical tae consteituencies o the Hoose o Commons. Scots Wastmeinster consteituencies wis replaced wi a new set o consteituencies, fewer in nummer but for normal lairger, in 2005.

The Arbuthnott Commission reportit in Januar 2006, concernin the nummer o votin seestems an electoral divisions in Scotland, but thare wisna be onie chynge tae the Halyeruid election seestem, cept as regairds uiss o vote-coonting machines an the design o the ballot paper, afore the 2007 walin.

Pairty leaders

Oot o the major pairty leaders in the Scots Pairlament, juist the ane (Jack McConnell o the Scots Labour Pairty) wis awready pairty leader in the 2003 election. Nicol Stephen succeedit Jim Wallace as Depute First Meinister an Leader o the Scots Leiberal Democrats in Juin 2005, efter Wallace annunced that he wadna be contestin the 2007 walin. Alex Salmond wis electit convener o the Scots National Pairty in 2004, wi his depute Nicola Sturgeon. Salmond haed led the SNP afore, atween 1990 an 2000, but demittit an wis replaced bi his preferred successor John Swinney, that led the pairty atween 2000 an 2004. Efter Swinney's demission in 2004, Salmond annunced that he wad contest for the heid again, an he bore the gree in the ballot o SNP members in Juin 2004. Annabel Goldie wis electit leader o the Scots Tories in November 2005 efter the demission o the incumbent David McLetchie on October 31, 2005 efter a taxi chairges stramash.

Constitutional issue

On the 1st o November 2006 The Scotsman furthset an opeinion poll conductit bi ICM. The survey foond that 51% wis fur Scots unthirldom, wi 37% agin.

On the 10t September 2006 The Sunday Times Scotland publisht an opeinion poll conductit bi YouGov. 1176 respondents wis interviewed atween 5-7 September 2006 . The survey foond that 44% wis in favour whan askit "If there wis a referendum the morra on whether Scotland should become an independent kintra, separate frae the rest o the Unitit Kinrick, hou wad ye be inclined tae vote?" 42% wis agin, an 15% didna ken. 64% wis fur giein the Scots Pairlament mair pouers, wi 19% disagreein.

See an aw

• Walins in Scotland

Fremmit airtin

• Scottish Politics Archived 2010-09-04 at the Wayback Machine