From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Scottish Parliament county constituency
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region
Created:	1999
MSP:	Jamie Stone
Party:	Liberal Democrat
Council area:	Highland

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross 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. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the Highlands and Islands electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to eight constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross covers a northern portion of the Highland council area.

Contents 1 Electoral region 2 Constituency boundaries and council area 2.1 Council area 3 Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) 4 Election results 5 Footnotes 5.1 See also

The other seven constituencies of the Highlands and Islands electoral region are Argyll and Bute, Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Moray, Orkney, Ross, Skye and Inverness West, Shetland and the Western Isles.

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 council area, all of the Shetland council area and all of Na h-Eileanan Siar.

The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of a pre-existing Westminster (House of Commons) constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster constituencies were generally replaced with new larger constituencies^[1]. The Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Westminster constituency was enlarged slightly, to cover an area also covered by the Ross, Skye and Inverness West Holyrood constituency.

See also Politics of the Highland council area

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross is the most northerly of three constituencies covering the Highland council area. The other two are Ross, Skye and Inverness West and Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber. All three are within the Highlands and Islands electoral region. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross has Ross, Skye and Inverness West on its southern boundary. Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber is further south.

In terms of Highland Council committee areas established in 1999, the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency covers all of the Caithness committee area, all of the Sutherland committee area and a small (Easter Ross) part of the Ross and Cromartry committee area.

Ward boundaries will change in April 2007, but these changes will not affect constituency boundaries. At the same time, the council will create three new operational management areas, with boundaries similar to but not identical to Westminster constituency boundaries. The new areas are called, in some contexts, North Highland, Mid and West Highland, and East Highland. In other contexts they are known, perhaps confusingly, by the names of the Westminster consituencies.

The constituency is represented by Liberal Democrat Jamie Stone.

Scottish parliamentary election, 2003: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Stone	7,742	36.7	- 4.4
	Labour	Deirdrie Stephen	5,650	26.7	+ 2.2
	Scottish National Party	Rob Gibson	3,692	17.5	- 5.7
	Conservative	Allan McLeod	2,262	10.7	+ 1.8
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	953	4.5	+ 2.4
	Scottish Socialist	Frank Ward	828	3.9	(+ 3.9)
Majority			2,092	9.9	- 7.0
Turnout
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing

Scottish parliamentary election, 1999: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Jamie Stone	10,691	41.0	N/A
	Labour	James Hendry	6,300	24.2	N/A
	Scottish National Party	Jean Urquhart	6,035	23.2	N/A
	Conservative	Richard Jenkins	2,167	8.3	N/A
	Independent	Gordon Campbell	554	2.1	N/A
	Independent	Ewen Stewart	282	1.0	N/A
Majority			4,391	16.9	N/A
Turnout

1. ^ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland

v • d • e Scottish Parliament regions and constituencies
Central Scotland	Airdrie and Shotts · Coatbridge and Chryston · Cumbernauld and Kilsyth · East Kilbride · Falkirk East · Falkirk West · Hamilton North and Bellshill · Hamilton South · Kilmarnock and Loudoun · Motherwell and Wishaw
Glasgow	Glasgow Anniesland · Glasgow Baillieston · Glasgow Cathcart · Glasgow Govan · Glasgow Kelvin · Glasgow Maryhill · Glasgow Pollok · Glasgow Rutherglen · Glasgow Shettleston · Glasgow Springburn
Highlands and Islands	Argyll and Bute · Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross · Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber · Moray · Orkney · Ross, Skye and Inverness West · Shetland · Western Isles
Lothians	Edinburgh Central · Edinburgh East and Musselburgh · Edinburgh North and Leith · Edinburgh Pentlands · Edinburgh South · Edinburgh West · Linlithgow · Livingston · Midlothian
Mid Scotland and Fife	Dunfermline East · Dunfermline West · Fife Central · Fife North East · Kirkcaldy · North Tayside · Ochil · Perth · Stirling
North East Scotland	Aberdeen Central · Aberdeen North · Aberdeen South · Angus · Banff and Buchan · Dundee East · Dundee West · Gordon · West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
South of Scotland	Ayr · Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley · Clydesdale · Cunninghame South · Dumfries · East Lothian · Galloway and Upper Nithsdale · Roxburgh and Berwickshire · Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
West of Scotland	Clydebank and Milngavie · Cunninghame North · Dumbarton · Eastwood · Greenock and Inverclyde · Paisley North · Paisley South · Strathkelvin and Bearsden · West Renfrewshire