Angus SNP Hold

Scottish Parliament election

constituency

	Angus	SNP Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Andrew Welsh	SNP	13251	44.5	-2.0
	Alexander Johnstone	CON	6564	22.0	+1.3
	John Denning	LAB	4871	16.4	-3.7
	Dick Speirs	LD	3802	12.8	0.0
	Bruce Wallace	SSP	1301	4.4	+4.4
		MAJORITY	6687	22.4
		TURNOUT	29789	49.2

ELECTORATE	60608

Top-up region: North East Scotland

DESCRIPTION: Angus

Angus lies on the east coast, stretching from Montrose in the north to the Firth of Tay in the south, where it virtually surrounds the city of Dundee. Agriculture is one of the major industries, as is tourism thanks to its seaside resorts, but engineering, fishing, food processing are also found here. In 1966 Jock Bruce-Gardyne held the seat of Angus South (as it was then called) with the biggest Conservative majority in Scotland. It was an upset when he was defeated by the SNP’s Andrew Welsh in October 1974. Mr Welsh held the seat until 1979 when Peter Fraser, now Lord Fraser of Carmyllie, regained it for the Tories. In 1987 the tables turned again, Andrew Welsh won it back. In 1999 Mr Welsh was elected the seat’s MSP with a majority of 9,000 over the Tories. Mike Weir, who replaced him at Westminster, fared less well at the 2001 general election when the SNP majority was slashed by two thirds. However, Andrew Welsh’s long association with this constituency should ensure his re-election with a comfortable majority.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION		SNP WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	SNP	16055	46.5
	CON	7154	20.7
	LAB	6914	20
	LD	4413	12.8

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		SNP WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	SNP	12347	35.3
	CON	8736	25
	LAB	8183	23.4
	LD	5015	14.3
	SSP	732	2.1