Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
county constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire shown within the South Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	68,019 (2019)
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Conservative
MSP	Rachael Hamilton
Council area	Scottish Borders
Created from	Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (in Gaelic: Eadraig, Rosbrog agus Siorrachd Bhearaig) is an area in Scotland. It is a special area called a constituency. This constituency sends one person to the Scottish Parliament (also known as Holyrood).

This person is called a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). They are chosen using a system called "first past the post." This means the candidate with the most votes wins. This constituency is also part of a larger area called the South Scotland electoral region. This region helps make sure different parts of Scotland are fairly represented.

This constituency was created for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. It took parts from two older constituencies. These were Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale and Roxburgh and Berwickshire. The rest of the Scottish Borders area is part of a different constituency. That one is called Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale.

Currently, the Conservative party holds this constituency. The current MSP is Rachael Hamilton. She won her seat in a special election in 2017. This happened after the previous MSP, John Lamont, left to try and become a Member of the UK Parliament.

What is a Constituency?

A constituency is like a special voting area. People who live in this area vote for one person to represent them. This person then speaks for their area in the Scottish Parliament. It helps make sure everyone's voice is heard.

The South Scotland Electoral Region

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire is one of nine constituencies in the South Scotland region. This region covers several council areas. These include Dumfries and Galloway, parts of East Ayrshire, East Lothian, and Midlothian. It also includes the whole Scottish Borders council area. Finally, it covers parts of South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.

The other eight constituencies in this region are:

• Ayr
• Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
• Clydesdale
• Dumfriesshire
• East Lothian
• Galloway and West Dumfries
• Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley
• Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale

Where is Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire?

This constituency covers a large part of the Scottish Borders area. The rest of the Scottish Borders is covered by the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency.

The smaller local areas within Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire are called electoral wards. All these wards are part of the Scottish Borders. They include:

• Selkirkshire
• Mid Berwickshire
• East Berwickshire
• Kelso and District
• Jedburgh and District
• Hawick and Denholm
• Hawick and Hermitage

Who are the MSPs?

Here are the people who have represented Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire in the Scottish Parliament:

How Elections Work

Elections are how people choose their representatives. In Scotland, there are elections for the Scottish Parliament every few years. People vote for who they want to be their MSP. The candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins that seat.

For example, in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Rachael Hamilton won the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire seat. She received 18,564 votes. This was 51.5% of all the votes in the constituency.

Sometimes, a special election called a "by-election" happens. This is if an MSP leaves their job before the next main election. A by-election was held in 2017 for this constituency. Rachael Hamilton won this by-election.