Inverness and Nairn (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Inverness and Nairn is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the Highland council area. 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, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Inverness and Nairn
County constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Inverness and Nairn shown within the Highlands and Islands electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population89,755 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created2011
PartyScottish National Party
MSPFergus Ewing
Council areaHighland
Created fromInverness East, Nairn & Lochaber,
Ross, Skye & Inverness West

The seat was first created for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, and covers parts of the former seats of Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber and Ross, Skye & Inverness West. Since being formed it has been held by Fergus Ewing of the Scottish National Party, who was previously the member for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber.

Electoral region

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The Inverness and Nairn constituency is part of the Highlands and Islands electoral region; the other seven constituencies are Argyll and Bute, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, 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

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Map of boundaries from 2011

The Highland (council area) is represented in the Scottish Parliament by three constituencies. These are: Caithness, Sutherland and Ross; Inverness and Nairn and Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

The electoral wards used to create the new Inverness and Nairn seat are:

Member of the Scottish Parliament

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ElectionMemberParty
2011Fergus EwingSNP

Election results

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Inverness & Nairn election results 1999-2021

2020s

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2021 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn[2][3]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
SNPFergus Ewing[a]21,79347.7 0.619,68843.0 0.9
ConservativeEdward Mountain[b]12,67927.7 7.712,04526.3 4.6
Labour Co-opRhoda Grant[c][b]5,37011.7 5.85,10811.2 2.2
Liberal DemocratsDavid Gregg2,8926.3 7.92,8206.2 3.4
Scottish GreenAriane Burgess2,6365.8New3,3927.4 0.8
Alba7541.6New
IndependentAndy Wightman[d]6611.4New
Scottish Family3350.7New
All for Unity2790.6New
Freedom Alliance (UK)1550.4New
Restore ScotlandAndrew MacDonald3610.8New1300.3N/A
Abolish the Scottish Parliament1080.2New
Reform UK1000.2New
Scottish Libertarian760.2New
UKIP670.1 2.3
TUSC520.1New
IndependentHazel Mansfield320.1New
Majority9,11420.0 8.3
Valid Votes45,73145,802
Invalid Votes13779
Turnout45,86864.5 6.745,88164.5 6.6
SNP holdSwing 4.2
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ a b Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency
  3. ^ Grant stood on a joint ticket on behalf of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Co-operative Party. The regional list vote is for Scottish Labour only.
  4. ^ Incumbent member on the list for Lothian region, having been elected as a member of the Scottish Greens in 2016

2010s

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2016 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn[4]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
SNPFergus Ewing[a]18,50548.3 3.216,20042.1 6.4
ConservativeEdward Mountain7,64820.0 8.48,37121.7 10.4
LabourDavid Stewart[b]6,71917.5 4.35,16213.4 4.4
Liberal DemocratsCarolyn Caddick5,44514.2 2.73,6889.6 0.1
Scottish Green3,1468.2 3.3
UKIP9162.4 1.0
Scottish Christian5461.4 0.6
IndependentJames Stockan1740.4New
RISE1710.4New
Solidarity1420.4 0.3
Majority10,85728.3 1.4
Valid Votes38,31738,516
Invalid Votes22263
Turnout38,53957.8 5.038,57957.9 5.1
SNP holdSwing 5.8
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Inverness and Nairn[5]
PartyCandidateConstituencyRegional
Votes%±%Votes%±%
SNPFergus Ewing[a]16,87051.5N/A15,85948.5N/A
LabourDavid Stewart[b]7,12521.8N/A5,80917.8N/A
ConservativeMary Scanlon[b]3,79711.6N/A3,68411.3N/A
Liberal DemocratsChristine Jardine3,76311.5N/A3,1139.5N/A
Scottish Green1,5884.9N/A
Scottish ChristianDonald Boyd6462.0N/A6692.0N/A
UKIPRoss Durance5301.6N/A4481.4N/A
All-Scotland Pensioners Party4051.2N/A
Socialist Labour3341.0N/A
BNP1620.5N/A
Scottish Socialist840.3N/A
Solidarity380.1N/A
Others5221.6N/A
Majority9,74529.7N/A
Valid Votes32,73132,715
Invalid Votes9999
Turnout32,83052.8N/A32,81452.8N/A
SNP win (new seat)
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for the Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber constituency
  2. ^ a b Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

Notes and references

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  1. ^ Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based), National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes)
  2. ^ Tarrant, Sylvia. "Highland nominations for Scottish Parliamentary Election 2021". www.highland.gov.uk.
  3. ^ "Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2021 Results". The Highland Council. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  4. ^ Council, The Highland. "The Highland Council download - Scottish Parliamentary election 2016 | Council and government | Politicians, elections and democracy | Elections and voting". www.highland.gov.uk.
  5. ^ "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
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