2013 Dunfermline by-election: Difference between revisions

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The Dunfermline by-election, 2013 is a by-election that will be held for the Scottish Parliament constituency of Dunfermline on 24 October 2013. ^[1] It follows the resignation of its MSP, Bill Walker after he was convicted of 23 charges of assault.^[2]

Background

Bill Walker was elected as a candidate for the SNP in the 2011 election. In March 2012, a Scottish newspaper, the Sunday Herald claimed his first three marriages had ended with allegations of violent behaviour towards his wives.^[3] The SNP first suspended (March) and then expelled (April) Walker for allegedly not declaring similar claims cited in uncontested divorce proceedings during their MSP vetting process.

On 22 August 2013, Walker was convicted of 23 charges of assault and one breach of the peace in relation to three ex-wives and a stepdaughter. He will be sentenced on 20 September.^[4]^[5]^[6] The maximum sentence he can receive is 12 months and only a longer sentence would see him automatically expelled from Parliament.^[7] This led to considerable political and media discussion about the situation, including a majority of MSPs backing a motion calling on him to resign.^[2]^[8] As a result, Walker resigned on 7 September 2013.^[2]^[7] He was subsequently jailed for 12 months.^[9]

Candidates

On 9 September, it was announced that local resident, James Reekie would stand as the Scottish Conservative candidate. The 22 year-old has accused the other primary candidates of "petty political mud-flinging"^[10] and has centred his campaign for the election around job creation and regeneration of Dunfermline city centre.^[11]

The SNP announced Shirley-Anne Somerville as their candidate on 16 September 2013, having chosen her from a shortlist of two, defeating Fife councillor Karen Marjoram. She is currently director of communities at Yes Scotland, the campaign for Scottish independence.^[12] Somerville failed to win a seat in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, but was appointed as a Regional List MSP for the Lothians later in 2007 (following the resignation of another SNP MSP) and served until the 2011 election.^[13] Somerville and SNP party leader Alex Salmond apologised for Walker's tenure.^[14]

Labour selected Cara Hilton on 15 September 2013,^[15] a councillor for Dunfermline South ward on Fife Council since May 2012.^[13] She defeated Fiona Yates and Fife councillor Lesley Laird, Labour having chosen an all-woman shortlist to improve the gender balance in the Scottish Parliament.^[16] Hilton is the daughter of former Labour MSP Cathy Peattie.^[15]

On 17 September, it was announced that UKIP would field Peter Adams,^[17] who lives in Fife and is treasurer of Kirkcaldy West Community Council.^[18]

The Liberal Democrats chose Susan Leslie as their candidate on 18 September.^[19] She is a university lecturer and a councillor on Fife Council for the Burntisland, Kinghorn, Auchtertool and Western Kirkcaldy ward, a seat she retained in the 2012 elections.

The Scottish Greens have chosen Zara Kitson, a 27-year old pro-independence campaigner.^[20]

John Black, the leader of the Scottish Jacobite Party,^[21] was nominated as an independent.^[22]

Nominations closed on 23 September, with no further candidates nominated.^[23]^[24]

Election campaign

A live debate between the SNP, Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat candidates was aired by Scotland Tonight on 14 October 2013. The debate drew "online criticism" for the absence of the Scottish Green Party's candidate.^[25]

Result

Dunfermline by-election, 2013^[26]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UKIP	Peter Adams
	Independent	John Black
	Labour	Cara Hilton
	Scottish Green	Zara Kitson
	Liberal Democrats	Susan Leslie
	Conservative	James Reekie
	SNP	Shirley-Anne Somerville

Scottish Parliament Election, 2011

Scottish Parliament election, 2011: Dunfermline
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Bill Walker	11,010	37.6	+13.5
	Labour	Alex Rowley	10,420	35.6	+2.7
	Liberal Democrats	Jim Tolson	5,776	19.7	−13.5
	Conservative	James Reekie	2,093	7.1	−1.2
Majority			590	2
Turnout			29299	52.5
	SNP gain from Liberal Democrats		Swing	+5.4

External links

^ "Date set for by-election in Bill Walker's Dunfermline seat". BBC News. BBC. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Bill Walker resigns as MSP after pressure over domestic abuse convictions". 7 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
^ Hutcheon, Paul (4 March 2012). "Revealed: MSP's history of violence against three ex-wives". Sunday Herald Scotland. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
^ "BBC News - MSP Bill Walker guilty of domestic abuse". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
^ "Calls for wife-beating Bill Walker to quit as MSP - Top stories". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
^ "Sheriff's verdict in PF v Bill Walker". Scotland-judiciary.org.uk. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ ^a ^b Severin Carrell. "Salmond: Bill Walker MSP should stand down after assault conviction | UK news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ "Scottish Women's Aid statement". Scottishwomensaid.org.uk. 2013-09-07. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ [1]
^ http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2013/09/voters-will-get-sick-petty-political-mud-slinging/
^ http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2013/09/election-candidate-uses-launch-highlight-town-centre-plight/
^ "SNP selects former Lothian MSP as Dunfermline by-election candidate | Politics | News | STV". News. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ ^a ^b "BBC News - Labour and SNP pick Dunfermline by-election candidates". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ [2]
^ ^a ^b "Cara Hilton picked as Labour candidate for Dunfermline by-election | Edinburgh & East | News | STV". News. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ Tom Gordon (2013-09-15). "Battle for Dunfermline begins as parties select their candidates". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ [3]
^ [4]
^ "BBC News - Dunfermline by-election: Lib Dems pick Susan Leslie as candidate". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
^ Greens pick Zara Kitson for Dunfermline Bright Green
^ "Dunfermline by-election: Smaller parties hit campaign trail". 14 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
^ http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/candidates-confirmed-for-dunfermline-by-election-1.134225
^ [5]
^ [6]
^ "Scottish Greens snubbed in STV debate". 15 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
^ [7]

[1] "Date set for by-election in Bill Walker's Dunfermline seat". BBC News. BBC. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.

[resign-2] "Bill Walker resigns as MSP after pressure over domestic abuse convictions". 7 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.

[3] Hutcheon, Paul (4 March 2012). "Revealed: MSP's history of violence against three ex-wives". Sunday Herald Scotland. Retrieved 8 March 2013.

[4] "BBC News - MSP Bill Walker guilty of domestic abuse". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-08-22.

[5] "Calls for wife-beating Bill Walker to quit as MSP - Top stories". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2013-08-22.

[6] "Sheriff's verdict in PF v Bill Walker". Scotland-judiciary.org.uk. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[theguardian1-7] Severin Carrell. "Salmond: Bill Walker MSP should stand down after assault conviction | UK news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[8] "Scottish Women's Aid statement". Scottishwomensaid.org.uk. 2013-09-07. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[9] [1]

[10] ttp://www.scottishconservatives.com/2013/09/voters-will-get-sick-petty-political-mud-slinging/

[11] ttp://www.scottishconservatives.com/2013/09/election-candidate-uses-launch-highlight-town-centre-plight/

[12] "SNP selects former Lothian MSP as Dunfermline by-election candidate | Politics | News | STV". News. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[autogenerated1-13] "BBC News - Labour and SNP pick Dunfermline by-election candidates". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[14] [2]

[autogenerated2-15] "Cara Hilton picked as Labour candidate for Dunfermline by-election | Edinburgh & East | News | STV". News. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[16] Tom Gordon (2013-09-15). "Battle for Dunfermline begins as parties select their candidates". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[17] [3]

[18] [4]

[19] "BBC News - Dunfermline by-election: Lib Dems pick Susan Leslie as candidate". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-19.

[20] Greens pick Zara Kitson for Dunfermline Bright Green

[21] "Dunfermline by-election: Smaller parties hit campaign trail". 14 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.

[22] ttp://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/candidates-confirmed-for-dunfermline-by-election-1.134225

[23] [5]

[24] [6]

[25] "Scottish Greens snubbed in STV debate". 15 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.

[26] [7]

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@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Labour selected Cara Hilton on 15 September 2013,<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://news.stv.tv/east-central/239659-cara-hilton-picked-as-labour-candidate-for-dunfermline-by-election/ |title=Cara Hilton picked as Labour candidate for Dunfermline by-election &#124; Edinburgh & East &#124; News &#124; STV |publisher=News |date= |accessdate=2013-09-19}}</ref> a councillor for Dunfermline South ward on [[Fife#Council|Fife Council]] since May 2012.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> She defeated Fiona Yates and Fife councillor Lesley Laird, Labour having chosen an all-woman shortlist to improve the gender balance in the Scottish Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|author=Tom Gordon |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/battle-for-dunfermline-begins-as-parties-select-their-candidates.22154778 |title=Battle for Dunfermline begins as parties select their candidates |publisher=Herald Scotland |date=2013-09-15 |accessdate=2013-09-19}}</ref> Hilton is the daughter of former Labour MSP [[Cathy Peattie]].<ref name="autogenerated2"/>
-On 17 September, it was announced that [[UKIP]] would field Peter Adams,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24188255]</ref> who lives in Fife and is treasurer of Kirkcaldy West Community Council.<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/ukip-to-stand-in-dunfermline-by-election-1-3106579]</ref>
+On 17 September, it was announced that [[UKIP]] would field Peter Adams,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24188255]</ref> who lives in [[Fife]] and is treasurer of Kirkcaldy West Community Council.<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/ukip-to-stand-in-dunfermline-by-election-1-3106579]</ref>
 The Liberal Democrats chose Susan Leslie as their candidate on 18 September.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-24146440 |title=BBC News - Dunfermline by-election: Lib Dems pick Susan Leslie as candidate |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2013-09-19}}</ref> She is a university lecturer and a councillor on Fife Council for the Burntisland, Kinghorn, Auchtertool and Western Kirkcaldy ward, a seat she retained in the 2012 elections.