Background
Election 2017: Scotland’s result in numbers. SNP lost votes in the general election in 2017.
The results were heavily influenced by the first-past-the-post electoral system used for Westminster elections. The SNP won 35 seats and were runners-up in the other 24. They won 59.3% of the seats with 36.9% of the vote. The Tories won 13 seats and were runners-up in nine. Their 28.6% of the vote yielded 22% of the seats.
| Party | Seats (change) | 2017 vote share | Share change | 2017 votes | Vote change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | 35 (-21) | 36.9% | -13.1 | 977,569 | -476,867 |
| Conservatives | 13 (+12) | 28.6% | +13.7 | 757,949 | +323,852 |
| Labour | 7 (+6) | 27.1% | +2.8 | 717,007 | +9,860 |
| Lib Dems | 4 (+3) | 7.5% | -0.8 | 179,061 | -40,614 |
The conservatives won an extra 12 seats during the election. The leader of the SNP is Nicola Sturgeon. Read more about her here. The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood. The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament . David Michael Davis is a British politician of the Conservative Party serving as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union since 2016 and Member of Parliament for Haltemprice and Howden since the general election of 1997. Wikipedia Michael William “Mike” Russell, is a Scottish National Party politician who is the Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland’s Place in Europe and the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Argyll and Bute constituency. Ruth Elizabeth Davidson is a Scottish politician. She heads the Scottish Conservatives, making her the leader of the second largest party at Holyrood. She sits as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Central. Wikipedia
Concerns about Brexit
- Nicola Sturgeon has challenged Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard to clarify his “feeble” position on Brexit. The Scotsman
- Brexit could cost Scottish economy £16bn a year – report, The Guardian.
- Scotland facing constitutional crisis over Brexit bill, The Scotsman
- Concerns relating to Clause 11 A power grab? Uk Parliament
- The EU Withdrawal Bill has serious implications for devolution. The Institute for government.
- Uk urged to step up a dialogue with Scotland ahead of Brexit talks. The Scotsman
- indyref2 what is it? BBC
- The House of Lords to look at Brexit devolution concerns. BBC
- General information about Brexit: The trade, geography and regional implications of Brexit. White paper.
Tasks:
Write a blog post explaining why Brexit it a controversial topic for people in Scotland. Be sure to include the facts given above and to cite your sources accurately.