Aberdeen Donside (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Aberdeen Donside
Burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Aberdeen Donside shown within the North East Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	80,156 (2019) [1]
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	SNP
MSP	Jackie Dunbar
Council area	Aberdeen City
Created from	Aberdeen Central, Aberdeen North

Aberdeen Donside (Gaelic: Obar Dheathain Oir Dheathain) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the Aberdeen City council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. It is one of ten constituencies in the North East Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

The seat has been held by Jackie Dunbar of the Scottish National Party since the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region

See also: North East Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other nine constituencies of the North East Scotland region are: Aberdeen Central, Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Aberdeenshire East, Aberdeenshire West, Angus North and Mearns, Angus South, Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Dundee City East and Dundee City West.

The region covers all of the Aberdeen City council area, Aberdeenshire, Angus, the Dundee City council area and part of Moray.

Constituency boundaries and council area

Outline of the constituency

Following their First Periodic review of parliamentary constituencies to the Scottish Parliament, the Boundary Commission for Scotland created three newly shaped seats for the Aberdeen City council area. The council area is now divided between three constituencies: Aberdeen Central, Aberdeen Donside and Aberdeen South and North Kincardine. Central and Donside are entirely within the city area, while South and North Kincardine also takes in North Kincardine in the Aberdeenshire council area.

Aberdeen Donside covers the northern area of the city, and comprises the following electoral wards:

• In full:
  • Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone
  • Bridge of Don
  • Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill
  • Northfield/Mastrick North
• In part:
  • Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill (shared with Aberdeen Central)

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Brian Adam [lower-alpha 1]	Scottish National Party
	2013 by-election	Mark McDonald
	2017 [2]	Independent
	2021	Jackie Dunbar	Scottish National Party

1. Incumbent for Aberdeen North constituency since 2003.

Election results

Aberdeen Donside election results 1999-2021

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Aberdeen Donside ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Jackie Dunbar	18,514	51.6	4.4	16,233	45.2	6.6
	Conservative	Harriet Cross	9,488	26.4	8.0	8,849	24.6	5.8
	Labour	Heather Herbert	5,505	15.3	3.0	5,283	14.7	2.1
	Scottish Green					1,764	4.9	1.5
	Liberal Democrats	Isobel Davidson	2,162	6.0	1.5	1,728	4.8	0.5
	Alba					743	2.1	New
	Scottish Family					269	0.8	New
	All for Unity					255	0.7	New
	TUSC	Lucas Grant	240	0.7	New
	Independent Green Voice					177	0.5	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					134	0.4	New
	Reform UK					126	0.4	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					109	0.3	New
	Restore Scotland					85	0.2	New
	UKIP					71	0.2	2.0
	Scottish Libertarian					64	0.2	0.0
	Independent	Laura Marshall				39	0.1	New
	Independent	Geoffrey Farquharson				15	0.0	New
	Renew					7	0.0	New
Majority			9,026	25.2	12.4
Valid Votes			35,909			35,951
Invalid Votes			118			80
Turnout			36,027	58.0	7.2	36,031	58.0	7.2
	SNP hold		Swing		6.2

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Aberdeen Donside ^{[7] [8] [9] [lower-alpha 1]}

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Mark McDonald [lower-alpha 2]	17,339	56.0	0.7	16,080	51.8	2.4
	Conservative	Liam Kerr	5,709	18.4	10.3	5,825	18.8	11.0
	Labour	Greg Williams	5,672	18.3	10.1	5,208	16.8	6.5
	Liberal Democrats	Isobel Davidson	2,261	7.5	1.3	1,653	5.3	0.1
	Scottish Green					1,046	3.4	0.8
	UKIP					675	2.2	1.4
	Scottish Christian					226	0.7	0.1
	National Front					106	0.3	0.2
	Solidarity					72	0.2	0.2
	Scottish Libertarian					57	0.2	New
	RISE					55	0.2	New
	Communist					37	0.1	New
Majority			11,630	37.6	12.8
Valid Votes			30,981			31,040
Invalid Votes			117			52
Turnout			31,098	50.8	3.5	31,092	50.8
	SNP hold		Swing		5.5
Notes Changes shown are relative to 2011 election Incumbent member for this constituency

Aberdeen Donside By-Election, 20 June 2013

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Mark McDonald	9,814	42.0	13.4
	Labour	Willie Young	7,789	33.3	4.8
	Liberal Democrats	Christine Jardine	1,940	8.3	2.3
	Conservative	Ross Thomson	1,791	7.7	0.4
	UKIP	Otto Inglis	1,128	4.8	New
	Scottish Green	Rhonda Reekie	410	1.8	New
	National Front	Dave MacDonald	249	1.1	0.3
	Scottish Christian	Tom Morrow	222	0.9	New
	SDA	James Trolland	35	0.1	New
Majority			2,025	8.7	18.1
Turnout			23,396	38.8	-8.5
	SNP hold		Swing	5.5

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Aberdeen Donside ^{[10] [11] [lower-alpha 1]}

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Region
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Brian Adam [lower-alpha 2]	14,790	55.3	10.5	14,526	54.2	N/A
	Labour	Barney Crockett	7,615	28.5	3.2	6,237	23.3	N/A
	Conservative	Ross Thomson	2,166	8.1	0.6	2,076	7.7	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Millie McLeod	1,606	6.0	10.0	1,390	5.2	N/A
	Scottish Green					683	2.5	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					544	2.0	N/A
	Independent	David Henderson	371	1.4	New	TBC [lower-alpha 3]		N/A
	Socialist Labour					231	0.9	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					220	0.8	N/A
	UKIP					217	0.8	N/A
	Scottish Christian					210	0.8	N/A
	BNP					177	0.7	N/A
	National Front	Christopher Willett	213	0.8	New	135	0.5	N/A
	Solidarity					17	0.1	N/A
	Angus Independents					6	0.0	N/A
	Others					123	0.5	N/A
Majority			7,175	26.8	13.7
Valid Votes			26,761			26,792
Invalid Votes			84			96
Turnout			26,845	47.8	N/A	26,888	47.9	N/A
	SNP win (new seat)
Notes Changes shown are relative to the notional result for 2007 Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency Included as part of "Others"

2000s

The following is the notional result for the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, as calculated by the BBC. ^[12]

Scottish Parliament election, 2007 Notional Result: Aberdeen Donside

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SNP		12,165	44.8
	Labour		8,614	31.7
	Liberal Democrats		4,340	16.0
	Conservative		2,027	7.5
Majority			3,551	13.1
	SNP hold		Swing

Politics and history of the constituency

The area contains Aberdeen Airport (run by BAA), ^[13]

Prior to the 2011 election, the Liberal Democrat candidate (Cllr Gordon Leslie), stood down amid allegations related to prostitution. ^[14]

See also

• 2013 Aberdeen Donside by-election
• Aberdeen City Youth Council

References

1. Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based), National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes)
2. "Mark McDonald suspended by SNP after 'new information' emerges". 16 November 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
3. "North East Scotland Region: Statement of Persons and Parties nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Aberdeen City Council . 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
4. "Aberdeen Donside Constituency: Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Aberdeen City Council . 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
5. Constituencies A-Z | Aberdeen Donside, BBC News; retrieved 7 May 2021
6. Scottish Parliamentary election 2021 results Aberdeen Council website
7. "SPE2016 - Donside Declaration" (PDF). Aberdeen City Council . Retrieved 23 June 2021.
8. "SPE2016 - North East Scotland Regional List results by constituency" (PDF). Aberdeen City Council . Retrieved 23 June 2021.
9. "Aberdeen Donside - Scottish Parliament constituency". BBC News . Retrieved 13 October 2020.
10. "2011 Election analysis (Excel 2.37MB)". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
11. "Results and turnout at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
12. "The New Scottish Parliament Constituencies 2011" (PDF). BBC News online. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
13. Passengers’ flight tax rise may cost country £80m, Press & Journal, 18 February 2011
14. Lib Dem candidate stands down over prostitute charges, BBC News, 22 February 2011

External links

• "Aberdeen Donside constituency map" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland . Retrieved 7 July 2021.