Ayr by-election 2000

'The Prime Minister, with what he no doubt thought was a cutely dismissive phrase, described Mr Ken Livingstone yesterday as 'no longer my responsibility'. He is wrong. The announcement by Mr Livingstone that he will stand for mayor of London, the mayhem of the rigged election contest for Labour candidate, and all that will happen in the future in this extra-ordinary situation is directly and completely the responsibility of Mr Blair and will remain so.' Herald Editorial, 7 th March 2000.

Labour loses workers' support

By Murray Ritchie in the Herald

The survey came as an unexpected fillip to Opposition parties who will this week launch their campaigns for next month's first Scottish parliamentary by-election, in Ayr, a Labour-held three-way marginal.

The survey, by a team including Strathclyde University's politics Professor John Curtis, suggests Labour's working-class support crumbled between the General and Scottish Parliament elections from 51% to 35%. In that period, those believing Labour looks after the working class fell from 90% to just 51%.

Nationalists and Tories seized on the figures. SNP deputy leader John Swinney said: "This is the price that New Labour are paying for ditching the values of mainstream Scotland in favour of a right-wing Middle England agenda. New Labour are a London-based party and Mark-II Tory party. Both factors are causing their support to plummet among former core voters in Scotland."

A spokesman for Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie said: "It had to happen after New Labour did a smash and grab on middle ground Conservative policy.

"It could not marry this with its own left-wing credentials and so Blair divorced New Labour, its left wing.

"Now, of course, it is getting its comeuppance from Old Labour voters and it is only a matter of time before middle-of-the-road electors recognise Blair for the charlatan he is."

Labour denied it was abandoning people with lower incomes. A spokesman said no Government had done more for families on lower incomes than Labour since coming to power in 1997..

The party will also formally launch its campaign this week in the contest caused by the resignation of businessman Ian Welsh, who cited family reasons.

The Labour majority is only 25, the smallest in Scotland.

February 21 st 2000