Constituency Profile
Constituency: |
Caithness and Sutherland |
| Current MP : | John Thurso |
| Current Party : |  |
| Majority 2010(%) : | 22.22 |
2010 Results: |
||||
| Candidate | Votes | % | % change from '05 | |
 | John Thurso | 11907 | 41.39 | -9.06 |
 | John Mackay | 7081 | 24.61 | +3.68 |
 | Jean Urquhart | 5516 | 19.17 | +5.85 |
 | Alastair Graham | 3744 | 13.01 | +2.76 |
Winnability |
|
| Swing req for LAB gain | 8.3878% |
| LAB winability* | 8 |
| Swing req for SNP gain | 11.1078% |
| SNP winability* | 9 |
| Swing req for CON gain | 14.1876% |
| CON winability* | 25 |
| * This is the rank of each seat according to marginality by party | |
Caithness and Sutherland Candidate Profiles
|  John Thurso John Thurso was educated at Eton and Westminster Technical College. He joined the Savoy Group as a management trainee in 1972 and went on to work in the hospitality industry. In 1992 he became CEO of Granfel Holdings and from 1995 until his election to Parliament he was CEO of the Champneys group. Coming from an old Liberal family (his grandfather was Sir Archibald Sinclair, party leader 1935-45 and Air Minister in the wartime coalition), John has always had a keen interest in politics. In 1995 he took his seat in the House of Lords and in 1999 he stood as a Highland list candidate for the Scottish Parliament. During this time John spoke out many times in favour of Lords reforms and when the 1999 Act was passed, he voluntarily chose to leave. With his election to the House of Commons in 2001 John became the first hereditary peer to have been elected to the Commons after quitting the Lords. In the House of Commons John has served as Shadow Secretary for Scotland and Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. In Nick Clegg's Shadow Cabinet reshuffle in 2008 he was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Business. Local issues that he has been involved in include campaigns for the development of renewable energy in the Highlands and for local post offices to remain open. John retains his strong links with the hospitality and tourism industry in his roles as president of the Tourism Society and the Academy of Food and Wine Service. He is a Fellow and former Patron of the HCIMA. |
|  Alastair Graham Alastair started his working life as a farmer in Sutherland and is delighted to fight the Highlands constituency. He is a Conservative local councillor who won in a battle with the Lib Dems. Alastair is a family man with four children and he has a deep understanding of the many pressures on work and family life in the largely rural and coastal economy of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. He is the headmaster of a successful preparatory school which he has run since 1978. He is mature and experienced at dealing with a wide range of people of all talents. He continues to have farming interests and expertise. |
|  John Mackay John MacKay was born in Thurso and raised in nearby Halkirk, where his family has run the village butcher shop there since the 1930s. The 33 year old graduated from university in 1998 and has worked as an IT consultant ever since. His political interests are youth unemployment, poverty, energy, transport, crofting and autism. John is currently training for this year's Edinburgh Marathon. |
|  Jean Urquhart Jean is managing director of Ceilidh Places Ltd, which she has run since 1972. She is also a Councillor for Wester Ross, Lochalsh and Strathpeffer, SNP deputy leader and council Vice Convener. She chairs the Audit and Scrutiny Committee and is a member of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee. She is also Chair of “Scotland’s Housing Expo” working with the Scottish Government to deliver an international architecture event and Chair of the ‘Year of Homecoming’ steering group in the Highlands. Jean is also a board member of University of the Highlands and Islands Millenium Institute, Feis Rois, FUSION, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Dewar Art’s Awards and Vice Chair Eden Court Theatre. |
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