Galloway & Upper Nithsdale
Conservative gain

It looks quite likely that the SNP will retain all their six seats (all won originally from the Conservatives) in the next General Election, but with six new candidates - since the half-dozen elected in 1997 have all entered the Scottish Parliament, which is clearly a higher priority for the Nationalists party. This does not mean that their appeal as Westminster representatives has, as yet, dimmed, although it probably would if there were to be a Conservative revival north of the border - an unlikely prospect at present. Galloway is sometimes regarded as a branch of the Highlands in the far south west corner of Scotland - there are certainly mountains and glens and forests here, and it had the highest proportion of any of the 659 seats of workers employed in agriculture, forestries and fishing. This constituency is one of the SNP's more vulnerable seats, having only been gained in 1997 when Ian Lang joined six other Cabinet Ministers defeated in the rout.

The SNP's second-11 replacement for Alasdair Morgan, retreating to the Edinburgh Parliament, is Malcolm Fleming, who was born 1975, attended Biggar High School and Aberdeen University, read geography, and eventually became Alasdair Morgan's Parliamentary assistant based locally at Dalbeattie. Appropriately he also likes hill-walking and Scottish country dancing.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 3.07% 14.99% 20.50 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 26.45% 2.13% 1,243.75 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 3.02% 2.49% 121.56 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 0.39% 4.43% 8.79 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 0.74% 7.27% 10.19 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.00% 2.56% 0.00 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.05% 2.04% 2.40 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.76% 3.94% 19.25 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 12.86% 13.04% 98.61 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 7.54% 12.70% 59.38 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 15.66% 8.14% 192.37 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 2.43% 4.02% 60.34 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 4.15% 3.19% 130.20 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 15.08% 11.31% 133.35 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 2.07% 3.06% 67.44 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 5.73% 2.52% 227.59 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 0.00

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 11.44% 9.41% 121.50 £5-10K 20.97% 16.63% 126.05 £10-15K 19.74% 16.58% 119.05 £15-20K 14.78% 13.58% 108.80 £20-25K 10.23% 10.39% 98.39 £25-30K 6.91% 7.77% 88.90 £30-35K 4.67% 5.79% 80.59 £35-40K 3.18% 4.33% 73.42 £40-45K 2.20% 3.27% 67.25 £45-50K 1.54% 2.48% 61.93 £50-55K 1.09% 1.90% 57.31 £55-60K 0.79% 1.47% 53.28 £60-65K 0.57% 1.15% 49.74 £65-70K 0.42% 0.91% 46.62 £70-75K 0.32% 0.72% 43.84 £75-80K 0.24% 0.57% 41.35 £80-85K 0.18% 0.46% 39.12 £85-90K 0.14% 0.37% 37.10 £90-95K 0.11% 0.31% 35.28 £95-100K 0.08% 0.25% 33.61 £100K + 0.35% 1.34% 26.12