Ayr by-election, 2000
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The Ayr by-election on March 16, 2000 was the first by-election for the Scottish Parliament that had been established the year previously. It was caused by the resignation of Ian Welsh who had been elected at the Scottish Parliamentary Election, 1999. Welsh resigned to spend more time with his family.
The result was a poor one for the Labour Party which had won the seat in the previous year, albeit with a majority of just 15. They fell into third place behind the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party who won the by-election.
This by-election showed a strange effect in the Scottish AMS electoral system. The Labour Party in the South of Scotland region had won 7 seats, all as first past the post constituencies and none on the list system through proportional representation, whilst the Conservative and Unionists had won 4 seats in South of Scotland through the proportional representation system. By winning the Ayr seat at the by-election the Conservatives had technically greater representation than their 1999 results would have proportionally given them. This is an anomaly that the Scotland Act, 1998 does not cater for.
[edit] Result
| Ayr Scottish Parliament By-election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | John Scott | 12,580 | 39.4 | ||
| Scottish National Party | Jim Mather | 9,236 | 29.0 | ||
| Labour | Rita Miller | 7,054 | 22.1 | ||
| Scottish Socialist | James Stewart | 1,345 | 4.2 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | Stuart Ritchie | 800 | 2.5 | ||
| Scottish Green | Gavin Corbett | 460 | 1.4 | ||
| The Radio Vet | William Botcherby | 186 | 0.6 | ||
| UK Independence | Alistair McConnachie | 113 | 0.4 | ||
| ProLife Alliance | Robert Graham | 111 | 0.4 | ||
| Independent (politician) | Kevin Dillion | 15 | 0.1 | ||
| Majority | 3,344 | ||||
| Turnout | 31,900 | ||||
| Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
[edit] Scottish Parliament Election result, 1999
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| Ian Welsh | (Lab) | 14,263 | 38.1% |
| Phil Gallie | (C) | 14,238 | 38.0% |
| Roger Mullin | (SNP) | 7,291 | 19.5% |
| Elaine Morris | (L Dem) | 1,662 | 4.4% |
