Falkirk West (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Scottish Parliament constituency infobox
Name = Falkirk West
Type = county


Region = Central Scotland
Year = 1999
MSP = Michael Matheson
Party = Scottish National Party
Council = Falkirk (part)

Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it is one of ten constituencies in the Central Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Electoral region

The other nine constituencies of the South of Scotland region are Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, East Kilbride, Falkirk East, Hamilton North and Bellshill, Hamilton South, Kilmarnock and Loudoun and Motherwell and Wishaw.

The region covers all of the Falkirk council area, all of the North Lanarkshire council area, part of the South Lanarkshire council area, part of the East Ayrshire council area and a small part of the East Dumbartonshire council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies [See [http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ "The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland] "] .

The Holyrood constituency covers a western portion of the Falkirk council area. The rest of the Falkirk area is covered by Falkirk East, which is also within the Central Scotland electoral region.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Michael Matheson
votes = 12,068
percentage = 41.9
change = +24.1 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Dennis Goldie
votes = 11,292
percentage = 39.2
change = +21.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
candidate = Stephen O'Rourke
votes = 2,887
percentage = 10.00
change = +3.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Callum Chomczuk
votes = 2,538
percentage = 8.8
change = +6.0 Election box majority
votes = 776
percentage = 2.7
change = -Election box turnout
votes = 28,785
percentage = 51.7
change = +1.0Election box gain with party link
winner = Scottish National Party
loser = Independent (politician)
swing = +1.2

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Dennis Canavan
votes = 14,703
percentage = 55.69
change = +0.71 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Michael Matheson
votes = 4,703
percentage = 17.81
change = +0.03 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Lee Whitehill
votes = 4,589
percentage = 17.38
change = -1.39 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Iain Mitchell
votes = 1,657
percentage = 6.28
change = +0.65Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Jacqueline Kelly
votes = 748
percentage = 2.83
change = 0 Election box majority
votes = 10,000
percentage = 37.88
change = +1.67Election box turnout
votes = 26,400
percentage = 50.65
change = -12.39 Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent (politician)
loser =
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Dennis Canavan
votes = 18,511
percentage = 54.98
change = +54.98 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Ross Martin
votes = 6,319
percentage = 18.77
change = -40.58 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Michael Matheson
votes = 5,986
percentage = 17.78
change = -5.65 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Gordon Millar
votes = 1,897
percentage = 5.63
change = -6.46 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Jane Hook
votes = 1,889
percentage = 6.26
change = -0.97 Election box majority
votes = 12,192
percentage = 36.21
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent (politician)
loser = Scottish Labour Party
swing =

Notes