Latest headlines
-
Victory for the SNP with 63 seats - two short of a majority
-
Conservatives are the second largest party on 31 seats - but Labour on 24 lost 13 seats
-
Scottish Greens are the fourth largest party with six seats, ahead of the Lib Dems who won five
-
See the changing political map of Scotland
Scoreboard
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Net percentage change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Party
SNP Scottish National Party |
Candidates Michael Matheson | Votes 18,260 | 56.9% | Net percentage change in seats +1.6 |
|
Party
LAB Scottish Labour |
Candidates Mandy Telford | Votes 6,980 | 21.8% | Net percentage change in seats −13.2 |
|
Party
CON Scottish Conservatives |
Candidates Alison Harris | Votes 5,877 | 18.3% | Net percentage change in seats +10.9 |
|
Party
LD Scottish Lib Dems |
Candidates Gillian Cole-Hamilton | Votes 966 | 3.0% | Net percentage change in seats +0.7 |
|
Change compared with 2011 |
||||
Turnout and Majority
Scottish National Party Majority
11,280Turnout
53.6%Constituency Profile
Set in Scotland's old industrial heartland, the Falkirk West seat takes in the town of the same name and stretches west to include Denny, Stenhousemuir and Banknock. Most heavy industry has gone, the last distillery closed and more people are now employed in the service sector than in manufacturing.
There is growing tourism, stimulated by the Falkirk Wheel at the intersection of the Forth and Clyde and Union canals, which opened in 2002. The Wheel has been joined by two 30-metre high horse-head sculptures, the Kelpies, which have attracted high numbers of visitors since April 2014. The town was the site of the two battles of Falkirk, in 1298 and 1746.
In 1999, sitting Labour MP Dennis Canavan's application to stand in the first Scottish election was rejected by Labour's central selection panel. However, he stood as an independent and took the seat. In 2007 he announced his retirement, and Michael Matheson took the seat for the SNP.