The 2017 Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire by-election was a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

held on 8 June 2017 for the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

constituency of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire. It was triggered by the resignation of

John Lamont John Robert Lamont (born 15 April 1976) is a Scottish Conservative Party politician and solicitor who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk since 2017, and was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotlan ...

Background

Conservative politician

was elected as MSP for the constituency at the 2016 election, having first been elected in

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

. Lamont announced on 25 April 2017 that he would be standing in the

2017 UK general election The 2017 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 8 June 2017, two years after the 2015 United Kingdom general election, previous general election in 2015; it was the first since 1992 United Kingdom general election, 1992 to be held ...

and submitted his resignation as MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire with effect from 4 May, which triggered a by-election.

Ken Macintosh Kenneth Donald Macintosh (born 15 January 1962) is a Scottish politician who served as the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2016 to 2021. Elected as a member of Scottish Labour, he suspended his party membership on becoming Pr ...

, the Presiding Officer scheduled the by-election for 8 June, the same date as the UK general election. Four candidates were nominated: Conservative

Rachael Hamilton Rachael Georgina Hamilton (born 1970) is a Scottish Conservative Party politician, who has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire since 2017. Hamilton has served as the Conservative Shad ...

, Gail Hendry for the Scottish National Party, Sally Prentice for Labour and Catriona Bhatia for the Liberal Democrats. Hamilton, who had been a regional MSP for South Scotland, resigned her seat in advance of the by-election.

Result

The Scottish Conservatives held the seat with an increased majority.

2016 election result

References

{{Scottish Parliament by-elections Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire 2017 Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire by-election 2010s elections in Scotland Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire by-election Politics of the Scottish Borders Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire by-election