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Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Encyclopedia
The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions
of the Scottish
Parliament
which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies
are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
.
The name Highlands and Islands is much older than the electoral region. The Highlands and Islands area has a large area of overlap with the Scottish Highlands
, and the two names are often regarded as representing the same area.
The Highlands and Islands region is the largest of the eight electoral regions in terms of area, but the smallest in terms of population and electorate. It has boundaries with the North East Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife and West of Scotland electoral regions.
The most high-profile MSP for the region has been Winnie Ewing
, the matriarch of the Ewing political family.
the boundaries of the region and constituencies were redrawn for the 2011 general election.
constituencies, as existing at that time. They covered all of four council areas, the Highland council area
, Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles council area),
the Orkney Isles council area and the Shetland Isles council area, and most of two others, the Argyll and Bute council area
and the Moray council area
:
A south-eastern portion of the Argyll and Bute area is covered by the Dumbarton
constituency, which is in the West of Scotland region. An eastern portion of the Moray area is covered by the Gordon
constituency, in the North East Scotland region.
the region elected MSPs as follows:
the region elected MSPs as follows:
the region elected MSPs as follows:
Changes:
Changes:
the region elected MSPs as follows:
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
.
The name Highlands and Islands is much older than the electoral region. The Highlands and Islands area has a large area of overlap with the Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, and the two names are often regarded as representing the same area.
The Highlands and Islands region is the largest of the eight electoral regions in terms of area, but the smallest in terms of population and electorate. It has boundaries with the North East Scotland, Mid Scotland and Fife and West of Scotland electoral regions.
The most high-profile MSP for the region has been Winnie Ewing
Winnie Ewing
Winifred Margaret 'Winnie' Ewing is a Scottish nationalist, lawyer and prominent SNP politician who was formerly a Member of Parliament , Member of the European Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament...
, the matriarch of the Ewing political family.
2011–
As a result of the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament BoundariesFirst Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries
The First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries was carried by the Boundary Commission for Scotland. It was announced on 3 July 2007 that the review was taking place and the final proposals were published on 26 May 2010...
the boundaries of the region and constituencies were redrawn for the 2011 general election.
1999–2011
The constituencies were created in 1999 with the names and boundaries of WestminsterParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
constituencies, as existing at that time. They covered all of four council areas, the Highland council area
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
, Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles council area),
the Orkney Isles council area and the Shetland Isles council area, and most of two others, the Argyll and Bute council area
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
and the Moray council area
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
:
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A south-eastern portion of the Argyll and Bute area is covered by the Dumbarton
Dumbarton (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dumbarton is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
constituency, which is in the West of Scotland region. An eastern portion of the Moray area is covered by the Gordon
Gordon (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Gordon was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
constituency, in the North East Scotland region.
Boundary changes
The Boundary Commission also recommended changes to the electoral regions used to elect "list" members of the Scottish Parliament. Highlands and Islands was amended so as to contain the newly redrawn constituencies of Argyll and Bute; Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Inverness and Nairn; Moray; Na h-Eileanan an Iar; Orkney Islands; Shetland Islands; and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.2011 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2011 Scottish Parliament electionScottish Parliament election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to...
the region elected MSPs as follows:
- 9 Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
MSPs (six constituency members and three additional members) - 2 Liberal DemocratScottish Liberal DemocratsThe Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
MSPs (both constituency members) - 2 LabourScottish Labour PartyThe Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
MSPs (both additional members) - 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
Additional member results
2007 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament electionScottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
the region elected MSPs as follows:
- 6 Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
MSPs (four constituency MSPs and two additional members) - 4 Liberal DemocratScottish Liberal DemocratsThe Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
MSPs (all constituency MSPs) - 3 LabourScottish Labour PartyThe Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
MSPs (all additional members) - 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
Constituency results
Additional member results
2003 Scottish Parliament election
In the 2003 Scottish Parliament electionScottish Parliament election, 2003
The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive...
the region elected MSPs as follows:
- 5 Liberal DemocratScottish Liberal DemocratsThe Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
MSPs (all constituency MSPs) - 4 Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
MSPs (two constituency MSPs and two additional members) - 3 LabourScottish Labour PartyThe Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
MSPs (one constituency MSP and two additional mermbers) - 2 Conservative MSPs (both additional members)
- 1 GreenScottish Green PartyThe Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
MSP (additional member)
Constituency results
Changes:
- Margaret EwingMargaret EwingMargaret Anne Ewing was a Scottish National Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament...
, Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
MSP for MorayMoray (Scottish Parliament constituency)Moray is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
, died on 21 March 2006. The by-electionMoray by-election, 2006A by-election in the Moray constituency of the Scottish Parliament was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament Margaret Ewing on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer...
was won by Richard LochheadRichard LochheadRichard Neilson Lochhead is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Moray.-Background and early career:...
of the SNP.
Additional member results
Changes:
- Dave PetrieDave PetrieDavid Dick Petrie was a Scottish Conservative & Unionist politician, and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Highlands and Islands Region....
replaced Mary ScanlonMary ScanlonMary Scanlon is a Conservative politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands region from 1999 to 2006 and since 2007....
. Scanlon resigned as an MSP in April 2006 to contest the Moray by-electionMoray by-election, 2006A by-election in the Moray constituency of the Scottish Parliament was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament Margaret Ewing on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer...
following the death of Margaret EwingMargaret EwingMargaret Anne Ewing was a Scottish National Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament...
. Petrie was next on the Conservative list.
1999 Scottish Parliament election
In the 1999 Scottish Parliament electionScottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
the region elected MSPs as follows:
- 5 Liberal DemocratScottish Liberal DemocratsThe Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
MSPs (all constituency members) - 4 Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
MSPs (two constituency and two additional members) - 4 LabourScottish Labour PartyThe Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
MSPs (one constituency and three additional members) - 2 Conservative MSP (both additional members)