Exclusive: Scottish Labour list selection ballot votes and results revealed

LabourList can exclusively reveal the full results – before and after ‘zipping’ – of the regional list selections that Scottish Labour has today disclosed to Holyrood candidates and members of the party’s ruling body.

The regional member votes, which closed in January, determine in which order candidates are placed on the eight regional list ballots for the Scottish parliamentary elections taking place on May 6th.

A preferential single transferable vote (STV) system is used, allowing Scottish Labour members to rank candidates in order of preference. Candidates are also ‘zipped’, which means they alternate by gender.

Anas Sarwar, who is standing to be the next Scottish Labour leader, received the most votes in the Glasgow region but will not take the first spot as he has decided to help ensure that 50% of lists are topped by women.

The MSP, who will place second on the list and is certain to be re-elected, said he followed the STUC’s ‘Step Aside, Brother’ campaign and the advice of the Scottish executive committee in order to “lead by example”.

He added that Scottish Labour “must do more in future to empower and encourage a greater diversity of candidates” and pledged to “work with our diverse membership” to ensure this happens.

Rival leadership candidate Monica Lennon is seeking re-election as MSP for the Central Scotland region. According to the selection ballot rankings, she will take the second spot after ex-leader Richard Leonard.

Zipping has disadvantaged some women this year. Before zipping, Jo Kirby and Coilla Drake were fourth and fifth on the Highland and Islands list, whereas after zipping they placed fifth and sixth after Lewis Whyte.

Update: Whyte has told LabourList that he made the decision to drop from fourth on the Highland and Islands list to sixth, saying: “I didn’t feel it was right to be placed ahead of two women who got more votes.”

In the Lothian region, Maddy Kirkman had been set to place third and Kirsteen Sullivan fourth on the basis of votes, but the gender alternating system saw both drop further down the regional list, with men given priority.

Update: Nick Ward has told LabourList that he is asking the party to swap his place with that of Sullivan. He said: “A system that supports women in some places but disadvantages them in others isn’t a good system.”

Johanna Baxter was third on the list by selection votes, but she is fifth on the final list as zipping has effectively reserved places for men and because Jackie Baillie is deputy leader (currently acting leader).

Scottish Labour’s leader and deputy leader both automatically top their regional lists, which benefits Baillie and Leonard, although he has stepped down. This is why both are absent from the pre-zipped lists.

Below is the full Scottish Labour list selection ballot 2021 results after zipping and after Sarwar’s decision to drop to second place in Glasgow and Whyte’s decision to drop to sixth place in Highland and Islands (with women in bold).

Central Scotland

1. Richard Leonard
2. Monica Lennon
3. Mark Griffin
4. Monique McAdams
5. Chris Costello
6. Michael McPake

Glasgow

1. Pauline McNeill
2. Anas Sarwar
3. Paul Sweeney
4. Pam Duncan-Glancy       
5. James Kelly
6. Eva Murray
7. Craig Carson
8. Hollie Cameron
9. Willie Docherty

Highland & Islands

1. Rhoda Grant                    
2. John Erskine
3. Marion Donaldson
4. Jo Kirby
5. Coilla Drake
6. Lewis Whyte

Lothian

1. Daniel Johnson
2. Sarah Boyack
3. Foysol Choudhury
4. Maddy Kirkman
5. Nick Ward
6. Kirsteen Sullivan
7. Frederick Hessler
8. Stephen Curran

Mid Scotland & Fife

1. Claire Baker
2. Alex Rowley
3. Julie MacDougall
4. Craig Miller
5. Chris Kane
6. Ryan Smart
7. Ewan Dillon

North East Scotland

1. Michael Marra
2. Mercedes Villalba
3. Barry Black
4. Lynn Thomson
5. Richard McCready
6. Georgia Strachan
7. Kaamal Bola
8. Heather Herbert
9. Owen Wright

South Scotland

1. Colin Smyth
2. Carol Mochan
3. Martin Whitfield
4. Claudia Beamish
5. Kevin McGregor

West Scotland

1. Jackie Baillie
2. Neil Bibby
3. Katy Clark
4. Paul O’Kane
5. Johanna Baxter
6. Matt Kerr
7. Francesca Brennan
8. Douglas McAllister
9. Katie Pragnell
10. Gurpreet Singh Johal
11. Ed Grady
12. Nairn McDonald

Below is the full Scottish Labour list selection ballot 2021 results by votes cast before zipping (with women in bold).

Central Scotland

1. Mark Griffin
2. Monica Lennon
3. Chris Costello
4. Monique McAdams
5. Michael McPake

Glasgow

1. Anas Sarwar
2. Paul Sweeney
3. James Kelly
4. Pauline McNeill
5. Pam Duncan-Glancy
6. Eva Murray
7. Craig Carson
8. Hollie Cameron
9. Willie Docherty

Highland & Islands

1. Rhoda Grant                    
2. John Erskine
3. Marion Donaldson
4. Jo Kirby
5. Coilla Drake
6. Lewis Whyte

Lothian

1. Daniel Johnson
2. Sarah Boyack
3. Maddy Kirkman
4. Kirsteen Sullivan
5. Foysol Choudhury
6. Nick Ward
7. Frederick Hessler
8. Stephen Curran

Mid Scotland & Fife

1. Claire Baker
2. Alex Rowley
3. Craig Miller
4. Julie MacDougall
5. Chris Kane
6. Ryan Smart
7. Ewan Dillon

North East Scotland

1. Michael Marra
2. Barry Black
3. Mercedes Villalba
4. Richard McCready
5. Lynn Thomson
6. Kaamal Bola
7. Georgia Strachan
8. Owen Wright
9. Heather Herbert

South Scotland

1. Colin Smyth
2. Carol Mochan
3. Martin Whitfield
4. Claudia Beamish
5. Kevin McGregor

West Scotland

1. Neil Bibby
2. Katy Clark
3. Johanna Baxter
4. Paul O’Kane
5. Matt Kerr
6. Francesca Brennan
7. Douglas McAllister
8. Gurpreet Singh Johal
9. Katie Pragnell
10. Ed Grady
11. Nairn McDonald