Political History
The political history of the seat of Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber traces its history back to the former county seat of Inverness-shire. In recent years it has changed radically.
In 1983, there were major boundary changes to what was then the Inverness-shire constituency. 6,000 voters from the island of Skye and 8,000 others from Glen Urquhart were transferred from Inverness to Ross & Cromarty. In return, the new seat of Inverness, Nairn & Lochaber gained a total of 13,000 voters from the Nairn and Strathspey parts of Moray & Nairn and the Kinlochleven and Ardnamurchan areas from Argyll.
In 1992, the name change to Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber reflects the transfer of the western Inverness areas of Charleston, Ballifeary and Merkinch to Ross, Skye & Inverness West, a relatively minor boundary change on the map, but important in terms of the electorate.
From the beginning of the century until 1950, Inverness-shire was held by a succession of Liberals - common or garden, National and Independent. For the next fourteen years it was held by the Conservatives until in 1964 it was recaptured for the Liberals by Russell Johnston.
He held the seat until 1997 when he retired and was elevated to the House of Lords as Lord Johnston. In 1997 Labour took the seat on the surge of Labour's nation-wide landslide, obtaining 16,187 votes to 13,848 for Fergus Ewing. The Liberal Democrats were pushed into third place marginally ahead of the Tories.
In 1999 the first Elections for the Scottish Parliament were held
1999 Scottish Parliament Election Result
- Fergus Ewing SNP - 13,825
- Joan Aitken Labour - 13,384
- Donnie Fraser Liberal Democrat - 8,508
- Mary Scanlon Conservative - 6,107
MSP Elected Fergus Ewing Majority 441
2003 Scottish Parliament Election Result
- Steve Arnott Scottish Socialists - 1661
- Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party - 10764
- Rhoda Grant Labour - 9718
- Patsy Kenton Scottish Liberal Democrats - 5622
- Thomas Lamont Independent - 825
- Mary Scanlon Conservative - 6205
MSP elected Fergus Ewing Majority 1046
2007 Scottish Parliament Election Result
- Fergus Ewing Scottish National Party - 16,443
- Craig Harrow Scottish Liberal Democrats - 10,972
- Linda Stewart Labour - 7,559
- Jamie Johnston Conservative - 4,635
MSP elected Fergus Ewing Majority 5471
