2003 Scottish Parliament election

The 2003 Scottish Parliament election was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, remained in office as First Minister for a second term and the Executive continued as a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition. As of 2023, it remains the last Scottish Parliament election victory for the Scottish Labour Party, and the last time the Scottish National Party lost a Holyrood election.

The results also showed rises in support for smaller parties, including the Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and declines in support for the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP). The Conservative and Unionist Party and the Scottish Liberal Democrats each polled almost exactly the same percentage of the vote as they had in the 1999 election, with each holding the same number of seats as before.

Three independent MSPs were elected: Dennis Canavan, Margo MacDonald and Jean Turner. John Swinburne, leader of the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, was also elected. This led to talk of a "rainbow" Parliament, but the arithmetic meant that the coalition of Labour and Scottish Liberal Democrats could continue in office, which they did until the 2007 election.

The decline in support for the SNP was viewed by some as a rejection of the case for Scottish independence. Others argued against this, pointing out that the number of MSPs in favour of independence actually rose because most of the minor parties such as the SSP share this position with the SNP.

Retiring MSPs
At the dissolution of Parliament on 31 March 2003, ten MSPs were not seeking re-election.

Campaign
The parliament was dissolved on 31 March 2003 and the campaign began thereafter.

Party leaders in 2003

 * Labour – Jack McConnell
 * SNP – John Swinney
 * Conservative – David McLetchie
 * Liberal Democrat – Jim Wallace
 * Greens – Robin Harper & Eleanor Scott (co-chairs)
 * SSP – Tommy Sheridan

Labour

 * Brian Fitzpatrick, Strathkelvin and Bearsden
 * Rhoda Grant, Highlands and Islands
 * Iain Gray, Edinburgh Pentlands
 * Angus MacKay, Edinburgh South
 * Richard Simpson, Ochil
 * Elaine Thomson, Aberdeen North

SNP

 * Kenneth Gibson, Glasgow
 * Irene McGugan, North East Scotland
 * Fiona McLeod, West of Scotland
 * Gil Paterson, Central Scotland
 * Lloyd Quinan, West of Scotland
 * Michael Russell, South of Scotland
 * Andrew Wilson, Central Scotland

The New Party

 * Keith Harding, Mid Scotland and Fife (elected as a Conservative)
 * Lyndsay McIntosh, Central Scotland (elected as a Conservative)

Results


! rowspan=2 colspan=2 | Party ! colspan=5 | Constituencies ! colspan=5 | Regional additional members ! colspan=5 | Total seats ! Votes !! % !! ± !! Seats !! ± !! Votes !! % !! ± !! Seats !! ± !! Total !! ± !! %
 * style="background-color:white" colspan=15 | Scottish Parliament elected members, 2003.svg
 * style="background-color:white" colspan=15 | Scottish Parliament elected members, 2003.svg

!style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" | Total || 1,928,877 || 100 ||  || 73 || – || 1,927,789 || 100 ||   || 56 || – || 129 || – || 100
 * style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" | Valid votes || 1,916,574 || 99.4 || 0.3 || colspan="2"|  || 1,915,851 || 99.4 || 0.3 || colspan="5"|
 * style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" | Spoilt votes || 12,303 || 0.6 || 0.3 || colspan="2"|  || 11,938 || 0.6 || 0.3 || colspan="5"|
 * style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" | Spoilt votes || 12,303 || 0.6 || 0.3 || colspan="2"|  || 11,938 || 0.6 || 0.3 || colspan="5"|
 * style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" | Spoilt votes || 12,303 || 0.6 || 0.3 || colspan="2"|  || 11,938 || 0.6 || 0.3 || colspan="5"|
 * style="text-align:left"; colspan="2" | Electorate/Turnout || 3,877,460 || 49.7 || 8.7 || colspan="2"|  || 3,877,460 || 49.7 || 8.6 || colspan="5"|
 * }
 * }

Notes:


 * The Scottish Greens did not stand in any constituencies, instead concentrating their resources on winning the largest possible share of the "second" vote for 'list' seats.

Central Scotland
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

Glasgow
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

Highlands and Islands
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

Lothians
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

Mid Scotland and Fife
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

North East Scotland
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

South of Scotland
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

West of Scotland
! colspan=2 style="width: 200px"|Constituency ! style="width: 150px"|Elected member ! style="width: 300px"|Result

! colspan="2" style="width: 150px"|Party ! Elected candidates ! style="width: 40px"|Seats ! style="width: 40px"|+/− ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 40px"|+/−%

Coalition
As part of the coalition deal between Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Labour allowed proportional representation (a long-standing Lib Dem policy) to be used in Scottish local government elections. This system was first used in 2007.

Party manifestos

 * British National Party – Freedom
 * Pro-Life Alliance
 * Scottish Liberal Democrats – Make the difference
 * Scottish National Party – Release our potential
 * Scottish Socialist Party – another Scotland is possible