List of by-elections to the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the devolved legislature of Scotland. It was founded in 1999. The 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are elected using the additional member system. 73 MSPs are elected through the first-past-the-post system in the Parliament's single-member constituencies, while 56 are elected in the regions to ensure results are proportional. There are 8 regions, electing 7 MSPs each. By-elections to the Parliament occur when a constituency seat becomes vacant, due to the death or resignation of a member.^[1]

Scottish Parliament Building and adjacent water pool, 2017

There were no by-elections in the 3rd Scottish Parliament term (2007–11).

By-elections

Where seats changed political party at the by-election, the result is highlighted: red for a Labour gain, and blue for a Conservative gain

List of by-elections for constituency members

By-election	Date	Parliament	Incumbent	Party	Winner	Party	Cause	Ref
Shetland	29 August 2019	5th	Tavish Scott	Liberal Democrats	Beatrice Wishart	Liberal Democrats	Resignation (to take a new role at Scottish Rugby)	[2]
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire	8 June 2017		John Lamont	Conservative	Rachael Hamilton	Conservative	Resignation (to contest a seat in the 2017 UK general election)	[3]
Cowdenbeath	23 January 2014	4th	Helen Eadie	Labour	Alex Rowley	Labour	Death (cancer)	[4]
Dunfermline	24 October 2013		Bill Walker	SNP	Cara Hilton	Labour[lower-alpha 1]	Resignation (convicted of assault)	[6]
Aberdeen Donside	20 June 2013	Brian Adam	SNP	Mark McDonald	SNP	Death (cancer)	[7]
Moray	27 April 2006	2nd	Margaret Ewing	SNP	Richard Lochhead	SNP	Death (breast cancer)	[8]
Glasgow Cathcart	29 September 2005		Mike Watson	Labour	Charlie Gordon	Labour	Resignation (convicted of fire-raising)	[9]
Banff and Buchan	7 June 2001	1st	Alex Salmond	SNP	Stewart Stevenson	SNP	Resignation (to focus on the Parliament of the United Kingdom)	[10]
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	7 June 2001		Sam Galbraith	Labour	Brian Fitzpatrick	Labour	Resignation (health reasons)	[10]
Glasgow Anniesland	23 November 2000		Donald Dewar	Labour	Bill Butler	Labour	Death (brain hemorrhage)	[11]
Ayr	16 March 2000		Ian Welsh	Labour	John Scott	Conservative[lower-alpha 2]	Resignation (family reasons)	[13]

See also

• Regional member changes in the Scottish Parliament
• List of by-elections to the Senedd
• Elections in Scotland

References

Notes

1. Gain not retained at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election^[5]
2. Gain retained at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election^[12]

Citations

1. McGrath, Francesca (8 June 2011). "Scottish Parliament Electoral System" (PDF). Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
2. "Lib Dems hold off SNP to win Shetland by-election". BBC News. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
3. "Rachael Hamilton wins Scottish Parliament by-election". BBC News. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
4. "Cowdenbeath by-election: Alex Rowley holds seat for Labour". BBC News. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
5. "Dunfermline – Scottish Parliament constituency". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
6. "Dunfermline by-election: Labour's Cara Hilton wins seat from SNP". BBC News. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
7. "SNP's Mark McDonald wins Aberdeen Donside by-election". BBC News. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
8. "SNP's joy at by-election victory". BBC News. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
9. Paterson, Stewart (12 April 2016). "Election 2016 focus: Cathcart". Glasgow Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
10. "Holyrood by-elections resolved". BBC News. 8 June 2001. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
11. "Labour holds Dewar seats". BBC News. 24 November 2000. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
12. "Scottish Parliament Election Results 2003". South Ayrshire Council. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
13. "Tories walking on Ayr". BBC News. 17 March 2000. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.