Ochil was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, it was one of nine constituencies in the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region, which elected seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
The former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament George Reid represented the constituency from 2003 to 2007.
For the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, Ochil was abolished, with the majority of the seat forming the newly created Clackmannanshire and Dunblane seat.
Electoral region
The region covered all of the Clackmannanshire council area, all of the Fife council area, all of the Perth and Kinross council area, all of the Stirling council area and parts of the Angus council area.
Constituency boundaries and council areas The constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of a pre-existing UK House of Commons constituency. Ahead of the 2005 United Kingdom general election Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland The Ochil Westminster constituency, was divided between the Ochil and South Perthshire Westminster constituency and the Stirling Westminster constituency.
From the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, Ochil was largely replaced by an expanded constituency of Clackmannanshire and Dunblane.
Constituency profile
Although a county constituency, Ochil was mostly industrial in character, with the main industries of the region being brewing, distilling, glass production, bottling, tourism and agriculture. The majority of the constituency's inhabitants were working-class. There are however affluent areas, including Bridge of Allan, home to wealthy commuters to the city of Stirling and further afield; Dollar, which has, in its Academy, one of Scotland's most renowned private schools; and rural Kinross.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Election Member Party 1999Richard SimpsonLabour 2003George Reid Scottish National PartyPresiding Officer 2007 Keith BrownScottish National Party 2011 Constituency abolished: see Clackmannanshire and Dunblane
Election results
Note: Although George Reid was elected as a Scottish National Party candidate in 2003, he became independent the same year, as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
Footnotes