Lindsay Roy confident Labour can bounce back in Fife
A Fife Labour MP firmly believes his party can come back from their hugely disappointing showing in last Thursday's Scottish Parliament elections.
Helen Eadie gives her victory speech after taking the Cowdenbeath seat. Her win was a rare bright spot for Labour in Fife.
- By Craig Smith
- Published in the Courier : 10.05.11
- Published online : 10.05.11 @ 06.31pm
Certain parts of Fife have been Labour strongholds for many years but the political map changed beyond many people's expectation last week, with a win in Cowdenbeath the only saving grace for Labour.
Fife's other four Scottish Parliamentary constituencies all went to the SNP, including the normally safe seat of Kirkcaldy where Marilyn Livingstone — the town's MSP since devolution in 1999 — lost out to Nationalist candidate David Torrance.
Lindsay Roy, who represents the Glenrothes constituency at Westminster, admitted, "From a Labour perspective, the result was most disappointing but not unexpected, given the national polls and the boundary changes.
"On the doorsteps, the Labour vote seemed to hold up well but we did not attract other voters to a positive agenda."
There was also disappointment in the Glenrothes area itself for Labour, as the SNP's Tricia Marwick won the newly-formed Mid Fife and Glenrothes seat by increasing her majority over nearest Labour candidate Claire Baker.
However, Mrs Baker was one of three Labour MSPs returned to Holyrood via the regional list route in Mid Scotland and Fife.
"From a personal perspective, I congratulate Tricia Marwick on retaining this seat and will continue to work with her, wherever possible, on the many matters of mutual interest and concern in support of our constituents," Mr Roy said.
Labour's Helen Eadie was returned in Cowdenbeath with a majority of just 1247 over the SNP, but that was the only high point for the party locally at the end of an extraordinary election.
As well as Mr Torrance's shock win in Kirkcaldy, the SNP's Bill Walker surprised many when he beat Labour's Alex Rowley and Jim Tolson from the Liberal Democrats in Dunfermline, while the SNP's Rod Campbell saw off Lib Dem Iain Smith in North East Fife with Labour's Colin Davidson back in fourth spot.
Photo © David Wardle.
07.06pm - 10.05.2011 Stuart Allan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Labour are pretty well doomed for the forsee-able future at Holyrood. With the bulk of their MSPs comprised of surprised list-fillers, who were never meant to be elected, they are in for a torrid time of it. They will most likely be looking to the 2020 election at the earliest.
07.21pm - 10.05.2011 Keltonian 21 - Kelty, Scotland Report This
Helen Eadie may have one Cowdenbeath, but she was lucky. A 4.8% swing to the SNP and her majority over halved! "On the doorsteps, the Labour vote seemed to hold up well but we did not attract other voters to a positive agenda" That's because there was no positive agenda for Labour!
07.35pm - 10.05.2011 Jimbo - Glenrothes, Fife Report This
Oh I see. It was the boundary changes that lost Labour votes over the whole of Scotland! This guy's fooling no-one. He'll be out looking for a job come the next London election.
02.49am - 12.05.2011 David Cunningham - Glenrothes, Fife Report This
Well done all the new SNP MSP's and also to the new presiding Officer Tricia Marwick What's Gordon saying about it? Mr Roy is whistling in the wind ! His appalling scaremongering and negative campaign did not play well with most voters.
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