Gordon (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gordon |
|
|---|---|
| Former county constituency for the Scottish Parliament |
|
 |
|
.svg)
Gordon shown within the North East Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
|
|
| Former constituency | |
| Created | 1999 |
| Abolished | 2011 |
| Council area | Aberdeenshire (part) Moray (part) |
| Replaced by | Aberdeenshire East, Aberdeenshire West, Moray |
Gordon was an area in Scotland that elected one person to the Scottish Parliament. This person is called a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). The way they were chosen was called "first past the post." This means the candidate with the most votes wins.
Gordon was one of nine areas in the North East Scotland region. This region also elected extra members to make sure all votes counted fairly. This system is known as proportional representation.
Contents
Understanding Electoral Regions
The Gordon area was part of a larger "electoral region" called North East Scotland. An electoral region is a bigger area that groups several smaller constituencies together.
The other eight constituencies in the North East Scotland region were:
- Aberdeen Central
- Aberdeen North
- Aberdeen South
- Angus
- Banff and Buchan
- Dundee East
- Dundee West
- West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
This region covered parts of Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Dundee City, Angus, Moray, and Perth and Kinross.
Where Gordon Was Located
The Gordon constituency was first created in 1999. Its borders were the same as an existing area used for the UK Parliament. However, in 2005, the borders for the UK Parliament changed a bit.
Council Areas in Gordon
The Gordon area for the Scottish Parliament covered the middle part of the Aberdeenshire council area. It also included a small eastern part of the Moray council area.
Other parts of Aberdeenshire were covered by different constituencies:
- Banff and Buchan was to the north of Gordon.
- West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine was to the south.
The rest of the Moray area was covered by the Moray constituency. This area belonged to a different electoral region called Highlands and Islands.
Changes to the Boundaries
From time to time, the areas that elect MSPs are reviewed. This is done by the Boundary Commission for Scotland. They make sure that each area has a similar number of voters.
After their review, the Gordon constituency was replaced in 2011. Its area was split into new constituencies:
- Aberdeenshire East
- Aberdeenshire West
- Moray
Who Represented Gordon?
The person who represented Gordon in the Scottish Parliament was called an MSP.
Here are the MSPs for Gordon:
| Election | MSP | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Nora Radcliffe | Liberal Democrats | |
| 2007 | Alex Salmond | SNP | |
| 2011 | The constituency was abolished. See the new areas: Aberdeenshire East, Aberdeenshire West, and Moray. | ||
Alex Salmond was the MSP for Gordon from 2007 until the constituency was abolished in 2011. He was also the First Minister of Scotland during this time. Before Gordon, he was an MSP for Banff and Buchan.
Election Winners
Here's a quick look at who won the elections in Gordon:
- In the 1999 election, Nora Radcliffe from the Liberal Democrats won.
- In the 2003 election, Nora Radcliffe won again for the Liberal Democrats.
- In the 2007 election, Alex Salmond from the SNP won the seat.
