2003 Scottish Parliament election

2003 Scottish Parliament election

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All 129 seats to the Scottish Parliament
65 seats were needed for a majority
TurnoutConstituency - 49.7% Decrease 8.7pp
Regional - 49.7% Decrease 8.6pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Jack McConnell Official Portrait 2001.jpg
John Swinney in 1999.jpg
DavidMcLetchieMSP20110509 (3x4 cropped).JPG
Leader Jack McConnell John Swinney David McLetchie
Party Labour SNP Conservative
Leader's seat Motherwell and Wishaw North Tayside Edinburgh Pentlands
Last election 56 seats 35 seats 18 seats
Seats won 50 27 18
Seat change Decrease6 Decrease8 Steady
Constituency vote 663,585 455,722 318,279
% and swing 34.6% Decrease4.2% 23.8% Decrease4.9% 16.6% Increase1.2%
Regional vote 561,375 399,659 296,929
% and swing 29.3% Decrease4.3% 20.9% Decrease6.4% 15.6% Increase0.1%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Jim Wallace.jpg
RobinHarper.jpg
TommySheridan2007 (cropped).jpg
Leader Jim Wallace Robin Harper Tommy Sheridan
Party Liberal Democrats Scottish Green Scottish Socialist
Leader's seat Orkney Lothians Glasgow
Last election 17 seats 1 seat 1 seat
Seats won 17 7 6
Seat change Steady Increase6 Increase5
Constituency vote 294,347 Did not stand 118,764
% and swing 15.4% Increase1.2% Did not stand 6.2% Increase5.2%
Regional vote 225,774 132,138 128,026
% and swing 11.8% Decrease0.6% 6.9% Increase3.3% 6.7% Increase4.7%

The map shows the election results in single-member constituencies. The additional member MSPs in the 8 regions are shown around the map.

First Minister before election

Jack McConnell
Labour

First Minister after election

Jack McConnell
Labour

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The 2003 Scottish Parliament election was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, remained in office as First Minister for a second term and the Executive continued as a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition. As of 2023, it remains the last Scottish Parliament election victory for the Scottish Labour Party, and the last time the Scottish National Party lost a Holyrood election.

The results also showed rises in support for smaller parties, including the Scottish Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and declines in support for the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP). The Conservative and Unionist Party and the Scottish Liberal Democrats each polled almost exactly the same percentage of the vote as they had in the 1999 election, with each holding the same number of seats as before.

Three independent MSPs were elected: Dennis Canavan, Margo MacDonald and Jean Turner. John Swinburne, leader of the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, was also elected. This led to talk of a "rainbow" Parliament, but the arithmetic meant that the coalition of Labour and Scottish Liberal Democrats could continue in office, which they did until the 2007 election.

The decline in support for the SNP was viewed by some as a rejection of the case for Scottish independence. Others argued against this, pointing out that the number of MSPs in favour of independence actually rose because most of the minor parties such as the SSP share this position with the SNP.