Moray SNP Hold

Scottish Parliament election

constituency

	Moray	SNP Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	Margaret Ewing	SNP	11384	42.2	+3.4
	Tim Wood	CON	6072	22.5	-3.1
	Peter Peacock	LAB	5157	19.1	-7.4
	Linda Gorn	LD	3283	12.2	+3.1
	Norma Anderson	SSP	1085	4.0	+4.0
		MAJORITY	5312	19.7
		TURNOUT	26981	46.3

ELECTORATE	58242

Top-up region: Highlands and Islands

DESCRIPTION: Moray

The local economy of Moray relies heavily upon farming, forestry and fishing. It is also at the heart of whisky-producing country. The largest town in the seat is Elgin, a market town which attracts its fair share of tourists. This seat and the neighbouring constituency, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, have suffered from the downturn in the oil industry, with the closure of the Barmac oil fabrication plants in the summer of 2000 causing nearly 3,000 job losses.

Margaret Ewing regained Moray for the SNP in 1987 after eight years of Tory rule. In 1999 Mrs Ewing secured her seat in the Scottish Parliament by winning with a solid majority of 12%. The recent crisis in the fishing industry and concerns over rural policy will doubtless figure in the campaign - although Labour has made strong showings in Moray in 2001 election and at local council level.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION		SNP WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	SNP	13027	38.8
	LAB	8898	26.5
	CON	8595	25.6
	LD	3056	9.1

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		SNP WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	SNP	10076	30.3
	LAB	8332	25.1
	CON	7677	23.1
	LD	5224	15.7
	SSP	821	2.5
	IND	802	2.4
	UKIP	291	0.9