Argyll and Bute (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Argyll and Bute
county constituency
for the Scottish Parliament

Argyll and Bute shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Current constituency
Created 1999
Party Scottish National Party
MSP Mike Russell
Council area Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is also one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Electoral region

The Argyll and Bute constituency is part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region; the other seven constituencies are Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Inverness and Nairn, Moray, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney, Shetland and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The region covers most of Argyll and Bute council area, all of the Highland council area, most of the Moray council area, all of the Orkney Islands council area, all of the Shetland Islands council area and all of Na h-Eileanan Siar.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Argyll and Bute 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, the Westminster (House of Commons) constituency was enlarged slightly.[1]

The Holyrood constituency covers most of the Argyll and Bute council area. The rest of the council area is covered by the Dumbarton constrituency, which is in the West Scotland electoral region. The Argyll and Bute Westminster constituency has covered the whole of the council area since 2005.

From the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, boundary changes altered the existing Argyll and Bute constituency. All but three electoral wards of the Argyll and Bute council area were used in the creation of the new seat, namely:

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 George Lyon Liberal Democrats
2003
2007 Jim Mather Scottish National Party
2011 Mike Russell

Election results

Scottish Parliament election, 2016: Argyll and Bute
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Michael Russell
Conservative Donald Cameron
Labour Mick Rice
Liberal Democrats Alan Reid
Majority
Turnout
[[|N/A]] hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 2011: Argyll and Bute
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Michael Russell 13,390 50.6 +16.0
Conservative Jamie McGrigor 4,847 18.3 -1.0
Labour Mick Rice 4,041 15.3 +0.8
Liberal Democrats Alison Hay 3,220 12.2 -19.6
Independent George Doyle 542 2.0 +2.0
Liberal George White 436 1.6 +1.6
Majority 8,543 32.3
Turnout 26,476 53.7
SNP hold Swing 8.5

The Liberal and the Independent both gained under 5% of the poll and thus lost their deposit

Scottish Parliament election, 2007 Notional Result: Argyll and Bute
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP 9,914 34.5
Liberal Democrats 9,107 31.7
Conservative 5,544 19.3
Labour 4,143 14.4
Majority 807 2.8
SNP hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 2007: Argyll and Bute
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Jim Mather 9,944 34.5 +14.9
Liberal Democrats George Lyon 9,129 31.7 -3.4
Conservative Jamie McGrigor 5,571 19.4 -0.8
Labour Mary Galbraith 4,148 14.4 -3.9
Majority 815 2.8
Turnout 28,792 58.9 +1.1
SNP gain from Liberal Democrats Swing 9.2
Scottish Parliament election, 2003: Argyll and Bute
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats George Lyon 9,817 35.13 +0.24
Conservative David Petrie 5,621 20.11 +4.01
SNP Jim Mather 5,485 19.63 −8.87
Labour Hugh Raven 5,107 18.27 −1.84
Scottish Socialist Des Divers 1,667 5.96 +5.96
Scottish Peoples Alliance David Walker 251 0.90 +0.90
Majority 4,196 15.01 +8.62
Turnout 27,948, 57.83 −7.04
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Scottish Parliament election, 1999: Argyll and Bute
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats George Lyon 11,226 34.89 N/A
SNP Duncan Hamilton 9,169 28.50 N/A
Labour Hugh Raven 6,470 20.11 N/A
Conservative David Petrie 5,312 16.51 N/A
Majority 2,057 6.39 N/A
Turnout

Notes

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