Ayr by-election 2000

'Blair is the worst thing that has happened to the Labour Party. He is a traitor who has destroyed the party and its traditions.' Bob Thomson, former chairman and secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland, 20 th February 2000.

Blair hopes visit will help Labour keep seat

By Murray Ritchie in the Herald

The Prime Minister will be north of the Border on March 9 and 10, his first trip to Scotland since he successfully campaigned last September in the Westminster by-election at Hamilton South. Labour only just managed to hold on to the seat.

On his forthcoming visit, Mr Blair will address the Holyrood Parliament. It is thought that his themes will include urging the Scottish people to take pride in their revived Parliament and highlighting the need to make devolved government a success.

Downing Street has been keen to point out that the Prime Minister is not using his visit to reassure voters about devolution, nor to ride to the rescue of First Minister Donald Dewar.

The visit to Holyrood will be Mr Blair's first and is overdue, after his initial planned excursion to the Scottish Parliament last summer had to be cancelled because he was heavily engaged in crunch talks on Northern Ireland. Mr Blair will also deliver a keynote speech to the Scottish Labour Party conference, also in Edinburgh, which takes place from March 10 to 12.

In addition, the Prime Minister is due to visit the stump in Ayr, in the hope the party can cling on to its most marginal Holyrood seat.

- Feb 22

22 nd February 2000