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 Christine Grahame | Votes 16,031 | 45.1% | Net percentage change in seats +1.5 |
|
Party
CON Scottish Conservatives |
Candidates Michelle Ballantyne | Votes 10,163 | 28.6% | Net percentage change in seats +16.8 |
|
Party
LAB Scottish Labour |
Candidates Fiona Dugdale | Votes 5,701 | 16.0% | Net percentage change in seats −0.7 |
|
Party
LD Scottish Lib Dems |
Candidates Kris Chapman | Votes 3,686 | 10.4% | Net percentage change in seats −17.7 |
|
Change compared with 2011 |
||||
Turnout and Majority
Scottish National Party Majority
5,868Turnout
59.1%Constituency Profile
The largest towns in this seat are Penicuik, Galashiels and Peebles. The economy in the area was until recent years dependent on textiles, an industry that has now declined. However, despite that decline, unemployment remains below the national average.
The constituency saw the new Borders railway being opened by the Queen in September 2015. It links Borders towns from Tweedbank to Edinburgh. It is hoped the link will act as a catalyst for economic growth right across the south of Scotland.
The Liberal Democrats’ Ian Jenkins took the seat in the first Holyrood election of 1999. When he stood down, his Lib Dem colleague Jeremy Purvis won the Tweedale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency in 2003 and 2007. The seat swung to the SNP in 2011 and Christine Grahame now represents the area at Holyrood.