South Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Scotland
electoral region for the Scottish Parliament
South Scotland shown within Scotland
Population	682,329 (2019)
Current electoral region
Created	2011
MSPs	Scottish National Party 7 Scottish Conservative Party 6 Labour 3
Council areas	Dumfries and Galloway East Ayrshire East Lothian (part) Midlothian (part) Scottish Borders South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire (part)
Constituencies	Ayr Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley Clydesdale Dumfriesshire East Lothian Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire< Galloway and West Dumfries Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale

South Scotland is one of eight special areas in Scotland that help choose who represents people in the Scottish Parliament. This area is called an electoral region. It is made up of nine smaller areas called constituencies. People living in South Scotland vote for a total of 16 MSPs, which stands for Members of the Scottish Parliament. These MSPs work to make laws and decisions for Scotland.

The South Scotland region was created in 2011. It took the place of an older region called "South of Scotland." This change happened after a review of how the voting areas were set up.

Understanding South Scotland's Role

South Scotland is a large area covering parts of several local councils. These include Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, and the Scottish Borders. It also includes parts of East Lothian, Midlothian, and South Lanarkshire. This region is important because it helps make sure different parts of Scotland are heard in the Parliament.

How MSPs are Elected in South Scotland

In Scotland, people vote for MSPs in two ways. First, they vote for a specific person to represent their local area, called a constituency. This is like a "first past the post" race, where the person with the most votes wins. South Scotland has nine of these local constituencies.

Second, people also vote for a political party in their region. This is called the "additional member system." Seven MSPs are chosen this way for the South Scotland region. This system helps make sure that the number of MSPs a party gets in the Parliament is fairer, matching the total votes they received. So, in total, South Scotland elects 16 MSPs.

Recent Election Results in South Scotland

Elections for the Scottish Parliament happen every few years. The results show which political parties are most popular in the South Scotland region.

2021 Scottish Parliament Election Outcomes

In the most recent election in 2021, the people of South Scotland chose their MSPs. Here's how the seats were shared among the main parties:

• The Scottish National Party (SNP) won 7 MSPs. Six of these were from local constituencies, and one was an additional member.
• The Scottish Conservative Party won 6 MSPs. Three were from local constituencies, and three were additional members.
• The Labour Party won 3 MSPs. All of these were additional members.

This means that the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives had the most elected representatives from the South Scotland region in the Parliament after the 2021 election.

MSPs Representing South Scotland (2021-Present)

Here are the MSPs who currently represent the South Scotland region, elected in 2021:

• Constituency MSPs:
  • Siobhian Brown (SNP) for Ayr
  • Elena Whitham (SNP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
  • Màiri McAllan (SNP) for Clydesdale
  • Oliver Mundell (Conservative) for Dumfriesshire
  • Paul McLennan (SNP) for East Lothian
  • Rachael Hamilton (Conservative) for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
  • Finlay Carson (Conservative) for Galloway and West Dumfries
  • Willie Coffey (SNP) for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley
  • Christine Grahame (SNP) for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale

• Regional List MSPs:
  • Craig Hoy (Conservative)
  • Sharon Dowey (Conservative)
  • Brian Whittle (Conservative)
  • Emma Harper (SNP)
  • Joan McAlpine (SNP)
  • Paul Wheelhouse (SNP)
  • Colin Smyth (Labour)
  • Carol Mochan (Labour)
  • Martin Whitfield (Labour)

These MSPs work hard to represent the people and interests of the South Scotland region in the Scottish Parliament.