Dundee East SNP Gain

Scottish Parliament election

constituency

	Dundee East	SNP Gain

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Shona Robison	SNP	10428	39.5	+5.3
	John McAllion	LAB	10338	39.3	-4.0
	Edward Prince	CON	3133	11.9	-2.1
	Clive Sneddon	LD	1584	6.0	-0.8
	James Gourlay	IND	865	3.3	+3.3
		MAJORITY	70	0.3
		TURNOUT	26368	48.9

ELECTORATE	53876

Top-up region: North East Scotland

DESCRIPTION: Dundee East

This half of the city is the more industrial of the two, and contains the docks area which is important to the off-shore oil industry. Shipbuilding has declined here, but there are a number of enterprise zones that have fostered a mixture of industries. Accommodation is mixed, ranging from the middle-class residences of Broughty Ferry to the council estates of Douglas and Linlathen.

Dundee was once a Liberal seat, represented by Winston Churchill for 14 years. Dundee East has also been a Nationalist seat with former SNP leader Gordon Wilson holding it from February 1974 until 1987 when John McAllion won it back for Labour. Mr McAllion became the MSP in 1999. He has long been an advocate of devolution. He resigned as Labour's Scottish constitutional spokesman in 1996 in protest at the decision to hold a referendum on devolution. He has carved out a role for himself as the conscience of the Labour Party, voting against the executive on issues including the abolition of warrant sales, free school meals and the war with Iraq. The SNP would only need a 5% swing to take this seat.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	13703	43.3
	SNP	10849	34.3
	CON	4428	14
	LD	2153	6.8
	SSP	530	1.7

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		LAB WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	LAB	14635	45.2
	SNP	10169	31.4
	CON	3900	12
	LD	2784	8.6
	SSP	879	2.7