The 2011 Scottish Parliament election will be the fourth general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. Polling will take place on Thursday, 5 May 2011. Scots law (or Scottish law) is the law of Scotland. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... This is a list of Acts of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the Speaker, the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ... Alex Fergusson (born 8 April 1949, Leswart, The Stewartry) is a Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale since 2003. ... The new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood designed by the Catalan architect Enric Miralles and opened in October 2004. ... Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) (Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPA) in Gaelic) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and eight additional member regions, each electing seven additional member MSPs. ... Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils. ... Composition of the new Parliament The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was the third general election[1] to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. ... A Legislative Consent Motion (formerly known as a Sewel motion) is a parliamentary motion passed by the Scottish Parliament, in which it agrees that the Parliament of the United Kingdom may pass legislation on a devolved issue extending to Scotland, over which the Scottish Parliament has regular legislative authority. ... The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ... The First Minister (First Meinister in Scots; Prìomh Mhinistear in Scots Gaelic) is the leader of Scotlands national devolved government, the Scottish Executive, which was established in 1999 along with the reconvened Scottish Parliament. ... Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond, known as Alex Salmond (born 31 December 1954 ) (age 52)), has been nominated by the Scottish Parliament as First Minister of Scotland. ... The Deputy First Minister of Scotland is, as the name suggests, the Deputy to the First Minister of Scotland. ... Nicola Sturgeon (born on 19 July 1970 in Irvine, North Ayrshire) is the Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). ... Dewar Government Donald Dewar, Scotlands first First Minister, obtained the Scottish Parliaments approval to the first slate of members of the Scottish Executive and Junior Scottish Ministers on 19 May 1999. ... The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is a government department in Scotland that is responsible for the public prosecution of alleged criminals. ... Her Majestys Advocate, known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief legal adviser to the Scottish Executive and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament. ... Lord Advocate the Rt Hon. ... Her Majestys Solicitor General for Scotland (Àrd-neach-lagha a Chrùin an Alba) is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Executive on Scots Law. ... John Beckett, QC, is a Scottish lawyer and the current Solicitor General for Scotland. ... Below is a list of executive agencies of the Scottish Executive. ... // Executive Bodies The Scottish Executive is responsible for the following Executive NDPBs: Accounts Commission for Scotland Bòrd Gàidhlig na h-Alba Cairngorms National Park Authority Crofters Commission Deer Commission for Scotland Highlands & Islands Enterprise Learning & Teaching Scotland National Galleries of Scotland National Library of Scotland National Museums of... The Houses of Parliament, as seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... In the United Kingdom reserved matters, also referred to as reserved powers, are those subjects over which power to legislate is retained by Westminster, as stated by the Scotland Act 1998, Northern Ireland Act 1998 or Government of Wales Act 1998. ... The Scotland Office (Oifis na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a department of the United Kingdom government, responsible for reserved Scottish affairs. ... The Secretary of State for Scotland (Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the chief minister in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilites for Scotland, at the head of the Scotland Office (formerly The Scottish Office). ... Douglas Garven Alexander (born October 26, 1967) is a British politician who is Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland He is the Member of Parliament for the Scottish constituency of Paisley and Renfrewshire South representing the Labour Party. ... Her Majestys Advocate General for Scotland (Àrd-neach-tagraidh na Bànrighe airson Alba in Gaelic) is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, whose duty is to advise the Crown and UK Government on Scots law. ... Neil Forbes Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova QC BA, MSc, LLB, LLM (born 13 September 1950) is a Scottish lawyer. ... Scotland is divided into 59 constituencies of the United Kingdom Parliament - 19 Burgh constituencies and 40 County constituencies. ... The Scottish Grand Committee is a committee of the House of Commons. ... Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... Under the provisions of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the next United Kingdom general election must be held on or before 3 June 2010. ... The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary body of the European Union. ... Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. ... Scotland has elections to several bodies: the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, the European Parliament, local councils and community councils. ... The European Parliament election, 2004 was the UK part of the European Parliament election, 2004. ... Elections to the European Parliament will be held in June 2006 in the then–27 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom. ... The local government of Scotland is organised into 32 unitary authorities covering the mainland and islands of Scotland. ... For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as Council Areas of Scotland which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as Councils which have the option under the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Scotland) Act 1997(as chosen by Na h-Eileanan an Iar) of being known... The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) is the representative association of Scottish local government and is the employers’ association on behalf of all Scottish councils. ... Parties represented in the Scottish Parliament (in order of number of representatives): Labour Party - Centre-left, unionist - 50 MSPs Scottish National Party (SNP) - Centre-left, pro-independence- 27 MSPs Conservative and Unionist Party - Centre-right, unionist - 18 MSPs Liberal Democrats - Centre, federalist - 17 MSPs Scottish Green Party - Environmentalist, pro-independence... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... The polling date for the second Scottish Parliament election was held on May 1, 2003. ... Composition of the new Parliament The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was the third general election[1] to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. ... A general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ...

Local council elections fall on the same day.

Date

Under the Scotland Act 1998, ordinary general elections to the Scottish Parliament are held on the first Thursday in May every four years (1999, 2003, 2007 and so on).^[1] The date of the poll may be varied by up to one month either way by the monarch, on the proposal of the Presiding Officer.^[1] The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster. ... The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on May 6th, 1999. ... The polling date for the second Scottish Parliament election was held on May 1, 2003. ... Composition of the new Parliament The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was the third general election[1] to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. ... The British monarch or Sovereign is the head of state of the United Kingdom and in the British overseas territories. ... The Presiding Officer (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh in Scots Gaelic) is the Speaker, the person elected by the Members of the Scottish Parliament to chair their meetings. ...

If the Parliament itself resolves that it should be dissolved (with at least two-thirds of the Members voting in favour), or if the Parliament fails to nominate one of its members to be First Minister within certain time limits, the Presiding Officer proposes a date for an extraordinary general election and the Parliament is dissolved by the monarch by royal proclamation. Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... The First Minister (First Meinister in Scots; Prìomh Mhinistear in Scots Gaelic) is the leader of Scotlands national devolved government, the Scottish Executive, which was established in 1999 along with the reconvened Scottish Parliament. ... A proclamation (Lat. ...

No extraordinary general elections have been held to date. Any extraordinary general elections would be in addition to ordinary general elections, unless held less than six months before the due date of an ordinary general election, in which case they supplant it. The subsequent ordinary general election reverts to the first Thursday in May, a multiple of four years after 1999 (i.e., 5 May 2011, 7 May 2015, etc).^[2]

Election system

The total number of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) elected to the Parliament is 129. Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ...

There are 73 constituencies, each electing one (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) system of election; and 8 additional member regions, each electing 7 additional member MSPs. The D'Hondt method is used to calculate which additional member MSPs the regions elect. Each constituency is a sub-division of a region; the additional members system is designed to produce approximate proportional representation for each region. The Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and eight additional member regions, each electing seven additional member MSPs. ... A plurality, or relative/simple majority as it is also referred to outside the United States (especially in non-English speaking countries; in the US, simple majority has another meaning), is the largest share of something, which may or may not be a majority in the American sense of the... The plurality voting system, also known as first past the post, is a voting system used to elect a single winner in a given election. ... Ballot for electoral district 252, Würzburg, for the 2005 German federal election. ... The DHondt method (equivalent to Jeffersons method) is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. ... Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation, or PR), is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates (grouped by a certain measure) obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive (usually in legislative assemblies). ...

The Scottish Parliament constituencies have not been coterminous with Scottish Westminster constituencies since the 2005 UK general election, when the 72 former Westminster constituencies were replaced with a new set of 59, generally larger, constituencies (see Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004). Scotland is divided into 59 constituencies of the United Kingdom Parliament - 19 Burgh constituencies and 40 County constituencies. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ... The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament that amends the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament. ...

Top target seats of the main parties

Below are listed all the constituencies which required a swing of less than 5% from the 2007 result to change hands. Swing in a British political context is a single figure used as an indication of the scale of voter change in a single constituency. ...

SNP targets

Aberdeen Central is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Linlithgow is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament, created in 1999 with the same boundaries as the House of Commons constituency of Linlithgow. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Glasgow Kelvin is a constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Dumbarton is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... East Kilbride is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Edinburgh Central is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Falkirk East is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Midlothian is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... East Lothian is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Cumbernauld and Kilsyth is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... West Renfrewshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Clydesdale is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Dunfermline West is a plurality voting system constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and is part of the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region for the additional member system (AMS). ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Aberdeen South is a constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Cunninghame South is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Strathkelvin and Bearsden is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ...

Labour targets

Cunninghame North is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Dunfermline West is a plurality voting system constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and is part of the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region for the additional member system (AMS). ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Ochil is a plurality voting system constituency and is part of the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region for the additional member system (AMS) and lies between the River Forth and the Ochil Hills. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Stirling is a plurality voting system constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and is part of the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region for the additional member system (AMS). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Livingston is a constituency of the Parliament of Scotland. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Glasgow Govan is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Kilmarnock and Loudoun is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Fife Central is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Edinburgh East and Musselburgh is a constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... The Western Isles are a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Edinburgh South is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party in the United Kingdom. ... Dundee West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ...

Conservative and Unionist targets

Eastwood is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Perth is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Stirling is a plurality voting system constituency represented in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and is part of the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region for the additional member system (AMS). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... West Renfrewshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Dumfries is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ...

Liberal Democrat targets

Argyll and Bute is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Edinburgh Central is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Gordon is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). ... The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... This article is about the Scottish Labour Party founded in 1976. ... Roxburgh and Berwickshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. ... The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ...

References

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (129th in leap years). ...

See also

• Arbuthnott Commission