Perth is for the most part an affluent rural constituency that extends from Lochearnhead in the west to Perth and Errol in the east. As a link to the highlands, Perth supports a large tourism industry. The SNP's Roseanna Cunningham has stamped her name on this constituency. Having won a 1995 by-election precipitated by the death of the outlandish Conservative Nicholas Fairbairn, Cunningham succeeded in holding this seat for the SNP in the 1997 General Election and then for the 1999 Scottish Parliament. Her main opponent in the 1995 by-election and the 1997 General Election was Conservative candidate John Godfrey, who critics argued had little knowledge of the local terrain. Godfrey came third behind Labour in 1995, and although he managed to come second in 1997 he did not stand in 1999. The Conservatives' new candidate, Ian Stevenson, did manage to reduce Cunningham's majority from 7.1% in 1997 to 5.4% in 1999, and at the 1999 local elections the Conservatives took 11 seats, with the SNP losing control of Perth and Kinross. Their new candidate Elizabeth Smith will stand a much better chance of regaining this seat if Cunningham does not stand. Cunningham is a popular MP who like her predecessor knows how to work this constituency in her own quirky way.

Parliamentary Statistics pre-Election 2001

SNP majority 3,141 (7.1%)  Conservative target 54
MP Roseanna Cunningham
1997 (Turnout 73.9%)
SNP	16,209	36.4%
Conservative	13,068	29.3%
Labour	11,036	24.8%
Liberal Democrat	3,583	8.0%
Referendum	366	0.8%
UK Independence	289	0.6%

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For Perth 2001 Election result - click here.