Winner in 2016: Derek Mackay (SNP)
RENFREWSHIRE North and West, or at least its predecessor constituency of West Renfrewshire, is a rare example of a Holyrood seat in the western part of the central belt where the Conservatives have been competitive over the years.
Even more remarkable is that their nearest miss occurred long before Ruth Davidson got them back into the game nationally. In 2007, the Tories’ candidate was their then leader Annabel Goldie and she came within just over seven percentage points of defeating the Labour incumbent Trish Godman.
The SNP candidate, Bill Wilson, best known for challenging John Swinney’s leadership of the party a few years earlier, was pushed into third against the national trend.