Won by just 930 votes — a 2.0% margin.
John Cooper
Conservative and Unionist PartyJohn Cooper is the Conservative MP for Dumfries and Galloway, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.
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Sign up freeCoverage of Dumfries and Galloway has been mixed for John across 40 recent articles.
Represented by Con since 2024. Median income £24K (below average).
'The reason Labour's gone potty over potholes... the election'
The Herald · 9 Apr 2026
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Sign up freeMedian Income▼
£24,400
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Mean Income▼
£29,800
per year (HMRC 2022-23)
Businesses▼
3,895
VAT/PAYE registered (ONS 2024)
Total Income Tax▼
£187m
from 52,000 taxpayers
Median Tax▼
£2,080
per taxpayer / year
Mean Tax
£3,630
per taxpayer / year
Source: HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23. Allocated by taxpayer residence. Covers income tax only — excludes NI, VAT, and capital gains. Sample-based estimate (~8% confidence interval).
22 councillors across 7 wards · Last elections: Dec 2022
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey | Labour Party | Davie Stitt | May 2022 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Ian Blake | May 2022 | |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | Kim Lowe | May 2022 | |
| Castle Douglas Crocketford | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Iain Howie | May 2022 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | John Lachlan Young | May 2022 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Pauline Drysdale | May 2022 | |
| Dee Glenkens | Scottish National Party (SNP) | Andy Mcfarlane | May 2022 |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Dougie Campbell | May 2022 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | John Denerley | May 2022 | |
| Mid Galloway Wigtown West | Conservative and Unionist Party | Richard Marsh | Dec 2022 |
| Nith | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | David Robert Slater | May 2022 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | John Campbell | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Keith Walters | May 2022 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Malcolm Johnstone | May 2022 | |
| North West Dumfries | Scottish National Party (SNP) | Andy Ferguson | May 2022 |
| Labour Party | Emma Jordan | May 2022 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Graham Bell | May 2022 | |
| Labour Party | Paula Stevenson | May 2022 | |
| Stranraer The Rhins | Conservative and Unionist Party | Andrew Giusti | May 2022 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | Ben Dashper | May 2022 | |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Chrissie Hill | May 2022 | |
| Independent Berwick Hills Resident | Willie Scobie | May 2022 |
Source: DCLEAPIL v1.0 by Jason Leman, LEAP (Andrew Teale) & Democracy Club. CC BY-SA 4.0. Data last refreshed: 1 Apr 2026.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con | 13,527 | 29.6% | |
| SNP | 12,597 | 27.5% | |
| Lab | 11,767 | 25.7% | |
| Ref | 4,313 | 9.4% | |
| LD | 2,092 | 4.6% | |
| Ind | 1,249 | 2.7% | |
| Ind | 230 | 0.5% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2017 GE | Con | 22,678 | 44.1% |
Won 2015 GE | SNP | 20,873 | 40.6% |
| Lab | 4,745 | 9.2% | |
| LD | 3,133 | 6.1% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
✓ Won 2019 GE | Con | 22,344 | 43.3% |
Won 2015 GE | SNP | 16,701 | 32.4% |
| Lab | 10,775 | 20.9% | |
| LD | 1,241 | 2.4% | |
| Ind | 538 | 1.0% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| SNP | 23,440 | 41.4% | |
| Con | 16,926 | 29.9% | |
Won 2010 GE | Lab | 13,982 | 24.7% |
| Ind | 1,301 | 2.3% | |
| LD | 953 | 1.7% |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lab | 23,950 | 45.9% | |
| Con | 16,501 | 31.6% | |
| SNP | 6,419 | 12.3% | |
| LD | 4,608 | 8.8% | |
| Ind | 695 | 1.3% |
John Cooper has not appeared in national political news coverage tracked by our system. This is common for backbench MPs who focus on constituency-level work rather than national policy debates.
15 articles hidden as not sufficiently relevant to this constituency
A letters page from The Herald containing multiple opinion pieces on Scottish politics and public services, including criticism of Scottish Labour's pothole repair cost calculations, commentary on transport challenges in Dumfries and Galloway, and critique of SNP election-year messaging around World Cup ticket prices.
A Scottish Green candidate, Laura Moodie (standing for South Scotland, which includes Dumfries and Galloway), has been criticised for pro-migration rhetoric while schoolchildren in Dumfries were issued rape alarms by police following concerns about male migrants at a nearby hotel taking photographs of them. The incident has sparked debate about immigration policy and community safety in the constituency.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay criticized the SNP Government's failure to upgrade key Scottish roads including the A75 and A77 in Dumfries and Galloway, warning that an SNP majority would leave these 'deadly' routes neglected. Findlay visited the constituency on Thursday to highlight the impact of broken promises on road infrastructure and the local economy, pledging Conservative plans to fast-track major trunk road improvements.
The National Trust for Scotland urges visitors to clean their footwear and follow biosecurity measures when visiting its 38 gardens and designed landscapes across Scotland, including several in Dumfries and Galloway. The appeal aims to protect these heritage sites from pests, pathogens, and invasive species as visitor numbers increase during spring.
A former record label boss from Kircudbright in Dumfries and Galloway was convicted of sexually abusing two schoolgirls at a Glasgow primary school between 2015 and 2020. John Ansdell received 200 hours unpaid work and was placed on the sex offenders register for two years rather than facing custody.
Schoolgirls in Dumfries have been issued rape alarms by police following allegations that asylum seekers at a local Mercure hotel were photographing them during school breaks. The incident has sparked concerns among parents about girls' safety in the town centre, with calls from Scottish Conservative candidate Craig Hoy to close the asylum hotel.
Schoolgirls in Dumfries have been given rape alarms amid concerns about harassment from asylum seekers housed at the Mercure Hotel. Police have investigated two incidents, with one arrest for child protection concerns in February that resulted in no charges, while parents and politicians call for increased monitoring and closure of the facility.
Police Scotland's overtime bill has soared to £31 million annually, with Dumfries and Galloway incurring £416,000 of that spending. The increase is attributed to chronic officer shortages resulting from SNP Government budget cuts over the past decade, with opposition parties criticizing the mismanagement while Police Scotland defends the spending as necessary to maintain service levels.
A 200-year-old flute owned by Robert Burns's family will be played in New York during Tartan Week 2026 as part of a campaign to raise £12 million to save Ellisland Farm in Dumfries and Galloway, where Burns wrote approximately a third of his life's work including 'Auld Lang Syne'. The farm faces destruction due to weathering and structural decay, and the international campaign aims to secure its future as a cultural destination.
John Ansdell, a 42-year-old from Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, was convicted of sexually assaulting schoolgirls in Glasgow between 2015 and 2020 and avoided jail, receiving 200 hours unpaid work instead. The case highlights a serious safeguarding failure at a Glasgow school where Ansdell, a classroom assistant and after-school club leader, exploited vulnerable pupils.
The Met Office has issued a 'very high' pollen alert for 12 Scottish regions including Dumfries and Galloway on Tuesday, April 7, due to high birch and ash pollen levels during tree pollen season. Hay fever sufferers in the constituency should expect significant symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes, with levels expected to reduce by Wednesday.
Police Scotland spent an average of £600,000 per week on overtime in 2024/25, totalling £31.2m—up £3m year-on-year and nearly double the 2016/17 figure. Dumfries and Galloway had the lowest overtime costs among Scottish divisions at £416,000, reflecting lower policing demand in the region compared to areas like Glasgow.
Network Rail is undertaking a £400 million modernisation of the West Coast Main Line, with planned closures and disruptions affecting services. Dumfries and Galloway is specifically mentioned as part of a £3.5 million reliability improvement project scheduled for April 2025, which will impact Glasgow-to-London services.
Police Scotland spent £31 million on overtime last year, with Dumfries and Galloway accounting for £416,000 of this bill—the lowest among all police divisions. The figures highlight severe staffing shortages across the force, with officers being mandated to work overtime to plug gaps in frontline numbers.
This analysis examines electoral dynamics in Galloway and West Dumfries, focusing on SNP prospects in a seat that reverts to traditional SNP-Tory competition as Reform UK's surge appears to be fading. The article highlights how the constituency's Unionist leanings and high English-born population (19.7%) have made it increasingly difficult for the SNP despite their competitive positioning in recent Holyrood elections.
A transport study commissioned by the South West Scotland Transport Alliance has recommended key upgrades to the A75 and A77 roads, with bypassing Crocketford and Springholm on the A75 in Dumfries and Galloway identified as top priorities. The study identifies nine upgrades for the A75 and 11 for the A77, aiming to improve safety, reliability and economic growth for businesses and communities relying on these routes to Irish Sea ferry ports.
Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway has been designated an 'oyster town' by the council, celebrating its native oyster beds and wild oyster fishery in Loch Ryan. This recognition is part of a wider regeneration effort following the 2011 ferry port closure, with the Oyster Festival acting as a catalyst for economic revival and tourism growth.
Oxygen Conservation, a UK land management company, has acquired multiple Scottish estates including properties in Dumfries and Galloway and is facing widespread criticism from communities over lack of transparency, job losses, and conflicting land-use policies. The article highlights tensions at Invergeldie Estate in Perthshire and references the company's controversial handling of feral goats on Langholm moor in Dumfries and Galloway, where the firm proposed culling them before its sister company applied for wind turbines on the same site.
Dumfries and Galloway Council faces a structural safety crisis with over 1,500 bridges across the region undermanned and uninspected. The council's bridges and structures team was reduced from 15 to 10 staff through budget cuts, creating a dangerous backlog of safety inspections that could leave the area vulnerable to incidents like the Kirkcudbright Bridge closure.
Dumfries and Galloway Council has officially designated Stranraer as 'Oyster Town' in recognition of its native oyster bed in Loch Ryan and the success of the Stranraer Oyster Festival, which attracts over 20,000 visitors annually. The council will seek formal recognition from the Scottish Government and promote the designation through tourism and economic development strategies.
The University of Glasgow is running a fully funded field course this summer for S3 students from across Dumfries and Galloway to inspire them toward careers in environmental science, ecology, and sustainability. The course will include wildlife surveys, habitat assessments, and environmental data collection.
The Met Office has issued a Yellow weather warning for Scotland's Easter weekend, with gusts up to 90 mph expected, particularly affecting western and southern regions including Dumfries and Galloway. The severe winds, rain, and snow could disrupt travel, power supplies, and Easter celebrations across the country.
Stranraer is bidding to become Scotland's 'oyster town' based on Loch Ryan's unique wild native oyster bed and annual festival. Local councillors Andrew Giusti and David Giusti are seeking official designation from Dumfries and Galloway Council to brand the town as a vibrant foodie destination and boost economic regeneration.
Gatehouse of Fleet, a small town in Dumfries and Galloway, has successfully completed a community land buyout to develop affordable homes for local residents, prioritizing young adults and key workers. The project, supported by £300,000 from Dumfries and Galloway Council's Town Centre Living Fund, will regenerate a long-vacant site and help address the area's housing shortage.
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