Ayr by-election, 2000

The Ayr by-election on March 16, 2000 was the first by-election for the Scottish Parliament that had been established the year previously. It was caused by the resignation of Ian Welsh who had been elected at the Scottish Parliamentary Election, 1999. Welsh resigned to spend more time with his family.

The result was a poor one for the Labour Party which had won the seat in the previous year, albeit with a majoirty of just 15. They fell into third place behind the Scottish National Party and the Conservatives who won the by-election.

This by-election showed a strange effect in the scottish AMS electoral system. The Labour Party in South of Scotland had won 7 seats all as first past the post constituencies and none on the list system through proportional representation, whilst the Conservatives had won 4 seats in South of Scotland through the proportional representation system. By winning the Ayr seat at the by-election the Conservatives had technically greater representation than their 1999 results would have proportionally given them. This is a slight anomaly that the Scotland Act, 1998 does not cater for.

Result

Scottish Parliament Election result, 1999

See Also

• List of Scottish Parliamentary by-elections