The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on May 6, 1999. Following the election, the Labour Party and the Scottish Liberal Democrats formed the Scottish Executive, with Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Donald Dewar becoming First Minister.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) had polled well in opinion polls running up to the election, gaining some 40% approval ratings and leading Labour, but this level of support was not maintained, and the SNP eventually polled behind Labour. The Conservatives failed to win a single constituency seat (as they had done in Scotland in the 1997 UK general election).
The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and the Greens picked up unexpected additional member seats. Robin Harper became the first ever Green parliamentarian in the history of the United Kingdom. Dennis Canavan, who had failed to become an approved Labour candidate, won the Falkirk West constituency as an independent candidate.
For a full list of MSPs elected, see Members of the Scottish Parliament, 1999-2003. For lists of constituencies and regions, see Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions.
National vote
discuss –
Scottish Parliament election, 1999
| Parties |
Additional member system |
Total seats |
| Constituency |
Region |
| Votes |
% |
+/− |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/− |
Seats |
+/− |
Total |
+/− |
% |
| |
Labour |
908,392 |
38.81 |
N/A |
53 |
N/A |
786,818 |
33.64 |
N/A |
3 |
N/A |
56 |
N/A |
43 |
| |
Scottish National Party |
672,757 |
28.74 |
N/A |
7 |
N/A |
638,644 |
27.26 |
N/A |
28 |
N/A |
35 |
N/A |
27 |
| |
Conservative |
364,225 |
15.56 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
359,109 |
15.35 |
N/A |
18 |
N/A |
18 |
N/A |
14 |
| |
Liberal Democrats |
331,279 |
14.15 |
N/A |
12 |
N/A |
225,774 |
12.43 |
N/A |
5 |
N/A |
17 |
N/A |
13 |
| |
Scottish Green |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
84,024 |
3.59 |
N/A |
1 |
N/A |
1 |
N/A |
1 |
| |
Scottish Socialist |
23,564 |
1.01 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
46,635 |
1.99 |
N/A |
1 |
N/A |
1 |
N/A |
1 |
| |
Independent - Dennis Canavan |
18,511 |
0.8 |
N/A |
1 |
N/A |
27,700 |
1.2 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
1 |
N/A |
1 |
| |
Others |
21,662 |
0.9 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
105,221 |
4.5 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
0 |
N/A |
0 |
Constituency and regional summary
Central Scotland
| Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Central Scotland |
| Party |
Elected candidates |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/−% |
|
Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
129,822 |
39.28% |
N/A |
|
Scottish National Party |
Alex Neil
Andrew Wilson
Michael Matheson
Gil Paterson
Linda Fabiani |
5 |
N/A |
91,802 |
27.78% |
N/A |
|
Conservative |
Lyndsay McIntosh |
1 |
N/A |
30,243 |
9.15% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
27,700 |
8.38% |
N/A |
|
Liberal Democrats |
Donald Gorrie |
1 |
N/A |
20,505 |
6.20% |
N/A |
|
Socialist Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
10,956 |
3.32% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Green |
|
0 |
N/A |
5,926 |
3.32% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Socialist |
|
0 |
N/A |
5,739 |
1.74% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Unionist |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,888 |
0.87% |
N/A |
|
ProLife Alliance |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,567 |
0.78% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Families and Pensioners Party |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,373 |
0.42% |
N/A |
|
Natural Law |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,373 |
0.42% |
N/A |
|
Independent Progressive |
|
0 |
N/A |
248 |
0.08% |
N/A |
Glasgow
| Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Glasgow |
| Party |
Elected candidates |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/−% |
|
Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
112,588 |
43.9% |
N/A |
|
Scottish National Party |
Nicola Sturgeon
Dorothy-Grace Elder
Kenneth Gibson
Sandra White |
4 |
N/A |
65,360 |
25.5% |
N/A |
|
Conservative |
Bill Aitken |
1 |
N/A |
20,239 |
7.9% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Socialist |
Tommy Sheridan |
1 |
N/A |
18,581 |
7.2% |
N/A |
|
Liberal Democrats |
Robert Brown |
1 |
N/A |
18,473 |
7.2% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Green |
|
0 |
N/A |
10,159 |
4.0% |
N/A |
|
Socialist Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
4,391 |
1.7% |
N/A |
|
ProLife Alliance |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,357 |
0.9% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Unionist Party (modern) |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,283 |
0.9% |
N/A |
|
Communist |
|
0 |
N/A |
521 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Humanist Party |
|
0 |
N/A |
447 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Natural Law |
|
0 |
N/A |
419 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Socialist (GB) |
|
0 |
N/A |
309 |
0.1% |
N/A |
|
People's Choice |
|
0 |
N/A |
221 |
0.1% |
N/A |
Highlands and Islands
| Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Highlands and Islands |
| Party |
Elected candidates |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/−% |
|
Scottish National Party |
Winnie Ewing
Duncan Hamilton |
2 |
N/A |
55,593 |
27.73% |
N/A |
|
Labour |
Peter Peacock
Maureen Macmillan
Rhoda Grant |
3 |
N/A |
51,371 |
25.47% |
N/A |
|
Liberal Democrats |
|
0 |
N/A |
43,226 |
21.43% |
N/A |
|
Conservative |
Jamie McGrigor
Mary Scanlon |
2 |
N/A |
30,122 |
14.94% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Green |
|
0 |
N/A |
7,560 |
3.75% |
N/A |
|
I Noble (Independent) |
|
0 |
N/A |
3,522 |
1.75% |
N/A |
|
Socialist Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,808 |
1.39% |
N/A |
|
Highlands and Islands |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,607 |
1.29% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Socialist Party |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,770 |
0.88% |
N/A |
|
Robbie the Pict (Independent) |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,151 |
0.57% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
712 |
0.35% |
N/A |
|
Natural Law |
|
0 |
N/A |
536 |
0.27% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
354 |
0.18% |
N/A |
Lothians
| Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Lothians |
| Party |
Elected candidates |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/−% |
|
Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
99,098 |
30.2% |
N/A |
|
Scottish National Party |
Margo MacDonald
Kenny MacAskill
Fiona Hyslop |
3 |
N/A |
85,085 |
25.7% |
N/A |
|
Conservative |
David McLetchie
James Douglas-Hamilton |
2 |
N/A |
52,067 |
15.7% |
N/A |
|
Liberal Democrats |
David Steel |
1 |
N/A |
47,565 |
14.4% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Green |
Robin Harper |
1 |
N/A |
22,848 |
6.9% |
N/A |
|
Socialist Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
10,895 |
3.3% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Socialist |
|
0 |
N/A |
5,237 |
1.6% |
N/A |
|
Liberal |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,056 |
0.6% |
N/A |
|
Witchery Tour Party |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,184 |
0.4% |
N/A |
|
ProLife Alliance |
|
0 |
N/A |
898 |
0.3% |
N/A |
|
Civil Rights Movement |
|
0 |
N/A |
806 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Natural Law |
|
0 |
N/A |
564 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
557 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Socialist (GB) |
|
0 |
N/A |
388 |
0.1% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
256 |
0.1% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
145 |
0.04% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
54 |
0.02% |
N/A |
Mid Scotland and Fife
North East Scotland
South of Scotland
| Scottish Parliament election, 1999: South of Scotland |
| Party |
Elected candidates |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/−% |
|
Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
98,836 |
31.0% |
N/A |
|
Scottish National Party |
Michael Russell
Adam Ingram
Christine Creech |
3 |
N/A |
80,059 |
25.1% |
N/A |
|
Conservative |
Phil Gallie
Alex Fergusson
Murray Tosh
David Mundell |
4 |
N/A |
68,904 |
21.6% |
N/A |
|
Liberal Democrats |
|
0 |
N/A |
38,157 |
12.0% |
N/A |
|
Socialist Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
13,887 |
4.4% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Green |
|
0 |
N/A |
9,467 |
3.0% |
N/A |
|
Liberal |
|
0 |
N/A |
3,478 |
1.1% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Socialist |
|
0 |
N/A |
3,304 |
1.0% |
N/A |
|
UK Independence |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,502 |
0.5% |
N/A |
|
Natural Law |
|
0 |
N/A |
755 |
0.2% |
N/A |
West of Scotland
| Scottish Parliament election, 1999: West of Scotland |
| Party |
Elected candidates |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/−% |
|
Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
119,663 |
38.5% |
N/A |
|
Scottish National Party |
Colin Campbell
Kay Ullrich
Lloyd Quinan
Fiona McLeod |
4 |
N/A |
80,417 |
25.9% |
N/A |
|
Conservative |
Annabel Goldie
John Young |
2 |
N/A |
48,666 |
15.7% |
N/A |
|
Liberal Democrats |
Ross Finnie |
1 |
N/A |
34,095 |
11.0% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Green |
|
0 |
N/A |
8,174 |
2.6% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Socialist |
|
0 |
N/A |
5,944 |
1.9% |
N/A |
|
Socialist Labour |
|
0 |
N/A |
4,472 |
1.4% |
N/A |
|
ProLife Alliance |
|
0 |
N/A |
3,227 |
1.0% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
2,761 |
0.9% |
N/A |
|
Scottish Unionist |
|
0 |
N/A |
1,840 |
0.6% |
N/A |
|
Natural Law Party |
|
0 |
N/A |
589 |
0.2% |
N/A |
|
Independent |
|
0 |
N/A |
565 |
0.2% |
N/A |
Party representation
- Labour - 56 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
- SNP - 35 MSPs
- Conservative - 18 MSPs
- Liberal Democrat - 17 MSPs
- Scottish Green Party - 1 MSP
- SSP - 1 MSP
- Others (Dennis Canavan, Falkirk West) - 1 MSP
Party leaders in 1999
See also
External links
|