Moray by-election, 2006
Encyclopedia
A by-election in the Moray constituency
of the Scottish Parliament
was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party
(SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP) Margaret Ewing
on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer
. The seat was successfully defended by the SNP's Richard Lochhead
, increasing the majority over the Scottish Conservative Party by 1073 votes.
Margaret Ewing had held the Holyrood
seat since its creation in 1999, having previously represented the Moray constituency
as a Westminster
Member of Parliament
(MP) since the United Kingdom general election, 1987
. She had already announced that she would not be contesting the seat in the Scottish Parliament general election, 2007.
The following week, a local newspaper, the Northern Scot, reported the Liberal Democrats to the Electoral Commission
for attributing quotes in leaflets to the newspaper itself rather than to the specific Liberal Democrats whom the paper had been quoting.
Both of the above were given widespread coverage in the Northern Scot newspaper.
In the final week of the by-election, Robbie Rowantree, the Conservative Party candidate for the neighbouring UK Parliament constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
in the 2005 general election
, announced he was joining the Liberal Democrats.
Moray (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...
of the Scottish 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...
was held on 27 April 2006 following the death of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament
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:...
(MSP) Margaret Ewing
Margaret Ewing
Margaret Anne Ewing was a Scottish National Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament...
on 21 March 2006, from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. The seat was successfully defended by the SNP's Richard Lochhead
Richard Lochhead
Richard 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:...
, increasing the majority over the Scottish Conservative Party by 1073 votes.
Margaret Ewing had held the Holyrood
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...
seat since its creation in 1999, having previously represented the Moray constituency
Moray (UK Parliament constituency)
-Sources:* * * * * * -See also:...
as a Westminster
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) since the United Kingdom general election, 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. She had already announced that she would not be contesting the seat in the Scottish Parliament general election, 2007.
Result
2003 election result
Campaign controversies
The Conservative Party became embroiled in a row with local two local independent councillors. Handwritten notes were sent out in their wards allegedly from the councillors, but the councillors subsequently denied having given permission for the letters to be used..The following week, a local newspaper, the Northern Scot, reported the Liberal Democrats to the Electoral Commission
Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)
The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections...
for attributing quotes in leaflets to the newspaper itself rather than to the specific Liberal Democrats whom the paper had been quoting.
Both of the above were given widespread coverage in the Northern Scot newspaper.
In the final week of the by-election, Robbie Rowantree, the Conservative Party candidate for the neighbouring UK Parliament constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, announced he was joining the Liberal Democrats.