Almond Valley election results

May 12 2011 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

Constance

ANGELA Constance will return to Holyrood as member of the Scottish Parliament after being re-elected last Thursday.

She was elected to serve the Livingston Constituency in 2007, and last week’s poll saw her voted in as MSP for the re-named area with an increased majority.

At the last election, Angela took the seat with a majority of just 870 over Labour.

But the redrawn boundaries left the seat with a notional majority of just FOUR VOTES.

However, any hopes of Labour grabbing the constituency were swept away as the votes mounted for the SNP.

Constance secured 54.3 per cent of the vote – higher than any West Lothian MSP or MP since the inception of the Scottish Parliament.

With over 54 per cent of votes cast, Angela’s share of the vote is on a par with the highest share of the vote from the late Robin Cook and Tam Dalyell.

Angela secured 16,704 votes; Labour candidate Lawrence Fitzpatrick got 11,162 votes; Conservative candidate Andrew Hardie got 1886 votes; Emma Sykes of the Liberal Democrats polled 656 votes and Neil McIvor of the National Front got 329 votes.

The turnout for the area was 51.3 per cent, down slightly on 52.37 per cent in 2007.

Speaking after her re-election Angela, said she was delighted to have won the seat.

And she said she would work hard to represent the local people who have returned her to the Scottish Parliament.

She said: “While I’m thrilled to have polled 16,704 votes, increased my majority to 5542 when it was projected at four and to have secured in excess of 54 per cent of votes cast, I am nonetheless humbled and honoured by the faith and responsibility that has been invested in me by the very community that I grew up in.

“Now that the election is over I look forward to working with and representing the towns and villages across the Almond Valley many of which I have represented since 2007.

“I am also looking forward to getting to know better Fauldhouse, Longridge and Seafield which are new additions to the constituency.”