01.07.11
Labour retains Inverclyde in by-election despite SNP surge
Labour held onto the Inverclyde constituency in yesterday’s by-election despite speculation that the SNP could provide another shock upset along the lines of its win in Glasgow East in 2008.
But Labour’s Iain McKenzie (pictured), the local council leader, held the seat with a majority of 5,838, achieving a similar proportion of the vote as at the 2010 general election, but with a smaller absolute majority over the SNP.
It had previously been held by former minister David Cairns, who died in May.
The Lib Dem candidate, Sophie Bridger, managed just 627 votes, losing her deposit, while the Conservative vote share also fell to less than 10%.
The SNP’s share of the vote surged to 33%.
But Labour’s Ann McKechin said: “Just 56 days since losing the Holyrood election, Labour has shown we are able to win back the trust of the electorate in Scotland. This is a real setback to the SNP and a personal humiliation for Alex Salmond, who campaigned here no fewer than seven times and told his party members he would win before a single vote had been cast.”
SNP campaign manager Kenny Gibson pointed out that the party had still achieved a swing of 9% and cut Labour's majority by more than half in just three weeks.
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