Tayside North SNP Hold

Scottish Parliament election

constituency

	Tayside North	SNP Hold

	CANDIDATE	PARTY	VOTES	%	+/-%
	John Swinney	SNP	14969	44.9	+0.8
	Murdo Fraser	CON	10466	31.4	-1.7
	Gordon MacRae	LAB	3527	10.6	-4.5
	Bob Forrest	LD	3206	9.6	+1.9
	Rosie Adams	SSP	941	2.8	+2.8
	George Ashe	SPA	234	0.7	+0.7
		MAJORITY	4503	13.5
		TURNOUT	33343	53.2

ELECTORATE	62697

Top-up region: Mid Scotland and Fife

DESCRIPTION: Tayside North

This is a beautiful part of Scotland which is popular with tourists and includes a host of famous place-names, for example, Pitlochry, Forfar and Blairgowrie. The southern borders near Perth are the most populous. Further inland there are large forests, lochs and plenty of opportunities for skiing in winter. Tourism, agriculture and forestry are the main industries.

The seat was created in 1983 from parts of Perth & East Perthshire and Angus South. Both were won by the SNP in 1974 but regained by the Conservatives in 1979. Tayside North was represented at Westminster by the outspoken unionist and Eurosceptic Bill Walker from 1983 until 1997. It was won by the SNP's John Swinney who went on to win the Holyrood seat in 1999 and later became party leader. Rural and environmental concerns figure here, as does health service provision.

PREVIOUS RESULTS

	1999 SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTION		SNP WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	SNP	16786	44.1
	CON	12594	33.1
	LAB	5727	15
	LD	2948	7.7

	2001 GENERAL ELECTION		SNP WIN
	PARTY	VOTES	%
	SNP	15441	40.1
	CON	12158	31.6
	LAB	5715	14.8
	LD	4365	11.3
	SSP	620	1.6
	IND	220	0.6