Regional Lists


saltire shield 'Last time, Labour candidates were specifically barred from standing for a seat and the list. According to party HQ in Glasgow, in exceptional circumstances it will be permitted. The exceptional circumstances were provided by the 'outstanding' work done by Labour's three Highlands and Islands list MSPs, although locally it is thought the real reason is more prosaic. Labour cannot get candidates.'
David Ross and Damien Henderson in the Herald, 14 th April 2003.
Lion Rampant

Highlands & Islands Region

Labour Party candidates

Peter Peacock MSP 1. Peter Peacock MSP labour logo
Labour
Peter Peacock was born on the 27 th May 1952 in Edinburgh. He has a Diploma in Youth Work and Community Service. He worked for the Citizens Advice Bureaux service nationally. He was also a Community Worker and later ran his own business in partnership with two others - The Apt Partnership.He was elected as an Independent Councillor to Highland Region in 1982. He held various positions including Finance Convenor, Chair of Policy and Resources Committee and Deputy Leader/Vice-Convenor. Peacock was the Leader/Convenor of Highland Council before he became an MSP in 1999 and is a past Vice-President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and a former Member of the European Committee of the Regions; Council of Europe; Scottish Post Office Board and Scottish Natural Heritage. He is married, has two adult sons, and his hobbies are bird watching and cooking. Peter Peacock, an Independent councillor for 16 years, only joined the Labour Party on the 5 th of April 1998 and in September 2005, Charlie Gordon, now MSP for Glasgow Cathcart commented: 'We were all angry at Peacock being a minister because the ink wasn't dry on his Labour party membership card.' In November 2006 Peter Peacock resigned as Minister for Education & Young People because of poor health.

Ministerial positions
Deputy Minister for Education May 1999 - October 2000
Deputy Minister for Finance & Local Government October 2000 - November 2001
Deputy Minister for Finance & Public Services November 2001 - April 2003
Minister for Education May 2003 - October 2004
Minister for Education & Young People October 2004 - November 2006

Recent electoral experience
2003 Scottish Parliament election, Moray, 5,157 votes (19.11 %)
2003 Scottish Parliament election, First on Labour's Highlands & Islands list, 37,605 votes (22.30 %) (elected)
1999 Scottish Parliament election, First on Labour's Highlands & Islands list, 51,371 votes (25.47 %) (elected)
1995 Local Council election, Highlands, Fort Augustus, 415 votes (37.97 %) (elected) (as an Independent candidate)
Rhoda Grant 2. Rhoda Grant labour logo
Labour
Rhoda Grant was born on Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in 1963 and educated at Plockton High School, Inverness College and the Open University where she graduated with a B.Sc. in Social Sciences.She worked for Highland Regional Council before joining UNISON in 1993. In 1999 she was third on the Labour list and was elected as the seventh Highland regional MSP. In the 1999 parliament she was joint convenor of the Crofting group. In 2003 she failed to win Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber and her third place on the Labour list was not high enough to secure her re-election. With Maureen MacMillan no longer standing on the Labour list, Rhoda Grant will be hoping to make it back to the Scottish parliament in 2007.

Ministerial positions
none

Recent electoral experience
2003 Scottish Parliament election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 9,718 votes (27.93 %)
2003 Scottish Parliament election, Third on Labour's Highlands & Islands list, 37,605 votes (22.30 %) (defeated)
1999 Scottish Parliament election, Third on Labour's Highlands & Islands list, 51,371 votes (25.47 %) (elected)
David Stewart 3. David Stewart labour logo
Labour
David Stewart was born in 1956 and educated at Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow and Paisley College, Stirling University and the Open University where he studied social science, social work and management respectively. He worked as a social worker in Dumfries and then Dingwall. He was a Nithdale District councillor for two years and then an Inverness District Councill for eight years. In 1997, he was elected as MP for Inverness Nairn & Lochaber at his third attempt. He became a member of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee but was forced to resign in 1999 after he was caught leaking a report to then Scottish Secretary, Donald Dewar. He was re-elected in 2001 but he lost the new seat of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey to the Lib Dems in 2005. David Stewart is curently assistant director for the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations in Inverness. He is the husband of Linda Stewart who is contesting Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber for Labour. The couple have two children, Andrew (19) and Kirsty (13). Despite representing Inverness at Westminster for eight years, Mr Stewart told the Inverness Courier in June 2006 "I don't have any prior ownership or interest in the area."

Ministerial positions
none

Recent electoral experience
2005 Westminster election, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, 13,683 votes (30.92 %) (defeated)
2001 Westminster election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 15,605 votes (36.75 %) (elected)
1997 Westminster election, Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber, 16,187 votes (33.89 %) (elected)
1992 Westminster election, Inverness, Nairn & Lochaber, 12,800 votes (25.17 %)
1987 Westminster election, Inverness, Nairn & Lochaber, 11,991 votes (25.34 %)
Inverness District Councillor 1988 - 1996
Nithsdale District Councillor 1984 - 1986
who 4. Christine Conniff labour logo
Labour
Christine Conniff stood against Charles Kennedy, then Liberal Democrat leader, in Ross, Skye & Lochaber at the 2005 Westminster election.

Recent electoral experience
2005 Westminster election, Ross, Skye & Lochaber, 4,851 votes (14.91 %)
Cllr Michael Macmillan 5. Cllr Michael Macmillan labour logo
Labour
Michael Macmillan is the husband of Maureen Macmillan, Labour MSP for the Highlands & Islands since 1999, who is standing down in 2007. He won Dingwall North from the sitting Independent councillor by 44 votes in 2003 and is currently leader of the Labour group on Highland Council.

Recent electoral experience
2003 Highland council election, Dingwall North, 576 votes (51.99 %) (elected)
1994 European election, Highlands & Islands, 19,956 votes (15.56 %)
who 6. Dawn Graham labour logo
Labour
Dawn Graham is a Gaelic speaker who lives in Glasgow.

Recent electoral experience
who 7. Simon Harrison labour logo
Labour
Simon Harrison is the secretary of Caithness & Sutherland constituency Labour party.

Recent electoral experience

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