Kilmarnock & Loudoun
Labour hold

Kilmarnock and Loudoun produced one of the three best SNP results in industrial Scotland in 1997. Along with Glasgow Govan and Ochil, it saw the nationalist share of the vote surpass 30pc. Their candidate was already a leading figure in the party, and Alex Neil went on contest the leadership of the SNP unsuccessfully against the North Tayside MP and MSP John Swinney. He was generally cast as the Left wing candidate, but that may have been simplistic. Perhaps some observers assumed this because he contested a west central industrial seat against Labour, rather than a rural constituency against mainly Conservative opposition, like Swinney. Kilmarnock and Loudoun is certainly industrial and majority working class, with nearly as many households in council as private ownership. It is known for the production and bottling of Johnnie Walker whisky, of course, but this is only one high profile area. This is also the setting for the fictional Graithnock in William McIlvanney's crime novels and short stories on social themes.

Desmond Browne was shoe-horned into this seat at the last minute in 1997 as a Dewar-linked lawyer and Blairite replacement for leftwinger Willie McKelvey. Orthodox in his support for Labour's devolution settlement, he was born locally, in 1952, and educated at St. Michael's (RC) Academy, Kilwinning, and at Glasgow University. His career at the Bar eclipsed by his move to Westminster, and rising 50, it is hard to see him making much advance on his current small job as PPS to Northern Ireland Minister, Adam Ingram.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 6.62% 14.99% 44.13 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 0.74% 2.13% 34.61 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.13% 2.49% 5.22 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 3.81% 4.43% 86.07 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 11.00% 7.27% 151.22 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 4.35% 2.56% 169.69 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.33% 2.04% 16.17 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 0.88% 3.94% 22.27 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 4.83% 13.04% 37.03 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 5.64% 12.70% 44.44 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 7.80% 8.14% 95.79 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 0.46% 4.02% 11.40 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 9.13% 3.19% 286.72 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 29.87% 11.31% 264.11 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 7.66% 3.06% 250.00 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 6.76% 2.52% 268.29 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 12.09% 9.41% 128.43 £5-10K 20.07% 16.63% 120.64 £10-15K 18.49% 16.58% 111.54 £15-20K 14.00% 13.58% 103.10 £20-25K 9.95% 10.39% 95.77 £25-30K 6.96% 7.77% 89.49 £30-35K 4.87% 5.79% 84.13 £35-40K 3.45% 4.33% 79.53 £40-45K 2.47% 3.27% 75.55 £45-50K 1.79% 2.48% 72.08 £50-55K 1.31% 1.90% 69.04 £55-60K 0.98% 1.47% 66.35 £60-65K 0.74% 1.15% 63.96 £65-70K 0.56% 0.91% 61.82 £70-75K 0.43% 0.72% 59.88 £75-80K 0.33% 0.57% 58.12 £80-85K 0.26% 0.46% 56.52 £85-90K 0.21% 0.37% 55.05 £90-95K 0.16% 0.31% 53.69 £95-100K 0.13% 0.25% 52.43 £100K + 0.62% 1.34% 46.25