North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids North East Scotland
electoral region for the Scottish Parliament
North East Scotland shown within Scotland
Population	768,973 (2019)
Current electoral region
Created	1999
MSPs	Scottish National Party 9 Conservative 5 Labour 2 Scottish Greens 1
Council areas	Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire Angus Dundee City Moray (part)
Constituencies	Aberdeen Central Aberdeen Donside Aberdeen South and North Kincardine Aberdeenshire East Aberdeenshire West Angus North and Mearns Angus South Banffshire and Buchan Coast Dundee City East Dundee City West

North East Scotland is one of the eight special areas called electoral regions in the Scottish Parliament. These regions were set up in 1999. This area helps choose 17 people who will represent it in the Scottish Parliament. These representatives are called Members of the Scottish Parliament, or MSPs for short.

The North East Scotland region has ten smaller areas inside it. These smaller areas are called constituencies. Each constituency also elects its own MSP. The region also elects seven extra MSPs. This system makes sure that more voices are heard in the parliament.

North East Scotland shares its borders with two other regions. These are the Highlands and Islands and Mid Scotland and Fife regions.

Understanding Scottish Parliament Elections

The Scottish Parliament is where laws are made for Scotland. People vote for MSPs to represent them. There are two main ways MSPs are chosen in Scotland.

Constituency MSPs: Your Local Voice

First, people vote for a person to represent their local area. This area is called a constituency. The person who gets the most votes in that area wins. They become the constituency MSP. North East Scotland has ten of these local areas.

Regional List MSPs: Fairer Representation

Second, people also vote for a political party in their wider region. This is called the regional list vote. This system helps make sure that the number of MSPs each party gets in the region is fair. It means smaller parties can also get a chance to have representatives. North East Scotland elects seven regional list MSPs.

Who Represents North East Scotland?

The people who represent North East Scotland in the Scottish Parliament come from different political parties. They work to make decisions for the region.

Current MSPs from North East Scotland (2021 Election)

After the 2021 election, the MSPs from North East Scotland are:

• Nine MSPs from the Scottish National Party.
• Five MSPs from the Conservative party.
• Two MSPs from the Labour party.
• One MSP from the Scottish Greens party.

These MSPs work together to represent the people living in North East Scotland. They bring local issues and ideas to the Scottish Parliament.

Past Elections in North East Scotland

Elections for the Scottish Parliament happen every few years. This lets people choose their representatives again. Looking at past elections helps us see how the region has voted over time.

2021 Scottish Parliament Election Summary

In the most recent election in 2021, voters in North East Scotland chose their MSPs. The Scottish National Party won most of the local constituency seats. Other parties like the Conservatives, Labour, and Greens also gained seats through the regional list system. This election helped decide who would represent the region for the next few years.

How Elections Work: A Quick Look

When people vote, they get two ballot papers. One is for their local constituency MSP. The other is for the regional list. The votes are counted carefully to make sure every vote matters. This system is designed to give both local representation and a fair share of seats to different parties.

Images for kids

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  This chart shows how people in North East Scotland have voted in elections from 1999 to 2021.