List of by-elections to the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the devolved legislature of Scotland. It was founded in 1999. The 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are elected using the additional member system. 73 MSPs are elected through the first-past-the-post system in the Parliament's single-member constituencies, while 56 are elected in the regions to ensure results are proportional. There are 8 regions, electing 7 MSPs each. By-elections to the Parliament occur when a constituency seat becomes vacant, due to the death or resignation of a member.^[1]

There were no by-elections in the 3rd Scottish Parliament term (2007–11).

By-elections

Where seats changed political party at the by-election, the result is highlighted: red for a Labour gain, and blue for a Conservative gain

List of by-elections for constituency members
By-election	Date	Parliament	Incumbent	Party	Winner	Party	Cause	Ref
Shetland	29 August 2019	5th	Tavish Scott	Liberal Democrats	Beatrice Wishart	Liberal Democrats	Resignation (to take a new role at Scottish Rugby)	^[2]
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire	8 June 2017	5th	John Lamont	Conservative	Rachael Hamilton	Conservative	Resignation (to contest a seat in the 2017 UK general election)	^[3]
Cowdenbeath	23 January 2014	4th	Helen Eadie	Labour	Alex Rowley	Labour	Death (cancer)	^[4]
Dunfermline	24 October 2013		Bill Walker	SNP	Cara Hilton	Labour^[a]	Resignation (convicted of assault)	^[6]
Aberdeen Donside	20 June 2013		Brian Adam	SNP	Mark McDonald	SNP	Death (cancer)	^[7]
Moray	27 April 2006	2nd	Margaret Ewing	SNP	Richard Lochhead	SNP	Death (breast cancer)	^[8]
Glasgow Cathcart	29 September 2005	2nd	Mike Watson	Labour	Charlie Gordon	Labour	Resignation (convicted of fire-raising)	^[9]
Banff and Buchan	7 June 2001	1st	Alex Salmond	SNP	Stewart Stevenson	SNP	Resignation (to focus on the Parliament of the United Kingdom)	^[10]
Strathkelvin and Bearsden	7 June 2001		Sam Galbraith	Labour	Brian Fitzpatrick	Labour	Resignation (health reasons)	^[10]
Glasgow Anniesland	23 November 2000		Donald Dewar	Labour	Bill Butler	Labour	Death (brain hemorrhage)	^[11]
Ayr	16 March 2000		Ian Welsh	Labour	John Scott	Conservative^[b]	Resignation (family reasons)	^[13]

References

Notes

^ Gain not retained at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election^[5]
^ Gain retained at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election^[12]

Citations

^ McGrath, Francesca (8 June 2011). "Scottish Parliament Electoral System" (PDF). Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
^ "Lib Dems hold off SNP to win Shetland by-election". BBC News. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
^ "Rachael Hamilton wins Scottish Parliament by-election". BBC News. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
^ "Cowdenbeath by-election: Alex Rowley holds seat for Labour". BBC News. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
^ "Dunfermline – Scottish Parliament constituency". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^ "Dunfermline by-election: Labour's Cara Hilton wins seat from SNP". BBC News. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
^ "SNP's Mark McDonald wins Aberdeen Donside by-election". BBC News. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
^ "SNP's joy at by-election victory". BBC News. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
^ Paterson, Stewart (12 April 2016). "Election 2016 focus: Cathcart". Glasgow Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Holyrood by-elections resolved". BBC News. 8 June 2001. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^ "Labour holds Dewar seats". BBC News. 24 November 2000. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^ "Scottish Parliament Election Results 2003". South Ayrshire Council. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
^ "Tories walking on Ayr". BBC News. 17 March 2000. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

[6] Gain not retained at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election^[5]

[14] Gain retained at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election^[12]

[1] McGrath, Francesca (8 June 2011). "Scottish Parliament Electoral System" (PDF). Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.

[2] "Lib Dems hold off SNP to win Shetland by-election". BBC News. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.

[3] "Rachael Hamilton wins Scottish Parliament by-election". BBC News. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.

[4] "Cowdenbeath by-election: Alex Rowley holds seat for Labour". BBC News. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

[5] "Dunfermline – Scottish Parliament constituency". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

[7] "Dunfermline by-election: Labour's Cara Hilton wins seat from SNP". BBC News. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

[8] "SNP's Mark McDonald wins Aberdeen Donside by-election". BBC News. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

[9] "SNP's joy at by-election victory". BBC News. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

[10] Paterson, Stewart (12 April 2016). "Election 2016 focus: Cathcart". Glasgow Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

[2001elections-11] "Holyrood by-elections resolved". BBC News. 8 June 2001. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

[12] "Labour holds Dewar seats". BBC News. 24 November 2000. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

[13] "Scottish Parliament Election Results 2003". South Ayrshire Council. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

[15] "Tories walking on Ayr". BBC News. 17 March 2000. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.

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v t e By-elections to the Scottish Parliament
1st	2000: Ayr Glasgow Anniesland 2001: Strathkelvin and Bearsden Banff and Buchan
2nd	2005: Glasgow Cathcart 2006: Moray
3rd	None
4th	2013: Aberdeen Donside Dunfermline 2014: Cowdenbeath
5th	2017: Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire 2019: Shetland
Regional member changes

v t e Lists of members of the Scottish Parliament
By session	1st Parliament (1999–2003) 2nd Parliament (2003–2007) 3rd Parliament (2007–2011) 4th Parliament (2011–2016) 5th Parliament (2016–2021) 6th Parliament (2021–present)
By party	Conservative Greens Independent Labour Liberal Democrats Scottish Socialist Party Scottish National Party
Other	Presiding officers and deputy presiding officers First ministers Women By-elections Regional member changes

v t e By-elections in the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom	1801–1806 1806–1818 1818–1832 1832–1847 1847–1857 1857–1868 1868–1885 1885–1900 1900–1918 1918–1931 1931–1950 1950–1979 1979–2010 2010–present Northern Ireland Hereditary peers
Parliament of Great Britain	1707–1715 1715–1734 1734–1754 1754–1774 1774–1790 1790–1800
Parliament of England	1689–1700 1701–1707
Devolved legislatures	Scottish Parliament Senedd (Welsh Parliament)
Other historic	European Parliament (1979–1999) House of Commons of Northern Ireland (1921–72) United Kingdom by-election records
Northern Ireland Assembly vacancies are filled by co-option. Local Government by-election results are generally given on the page for the last election in that area.

List of by-elections to the Scottish Parliament

By-elections

See also

References

Notes

Citations