Ayr by-election Result 16 th March 2000

'The Nationalists were an impressive force in the constituency - leafleting just about every household and building. Coming from third position, they knew they had a fight on their hands. They didn't win - but having taken second place and beaten Labour down to third in a seat where in the early days of the campaign, few people rated their chances of making any progress, they moved quickly to portray it as exactly that - a win.'
Elizabeth Quigley, BBC Scotland, 17 th March 2000.

Reflective view of the Ayr race

BBC Scotland political correspondent Elizabeth Quigley takes a reflective look at the Scottish Parliament's first by-election at Ayr

From BBC News

The Saturday before polling was a perfect campaigning day.

After weeks of rain, freezing cold and sometimes even snow, the sun was shining.

Ayr United were playing at home to Partick Thistle and the racing was on at the racecourse.

Could any political party have asked for a better day?

The Tories were out in force and the Nationalists did a brisk trade in handing out their bright yellow balloons and little paper saltire flags.

The Greens' sole MSP - the amiable Robin Harper - was there complete with his rainbow coloured Doctor Who scarf.

And the Scottish Socialists, with their loud hailer, had bagged the site at the Wallace Tower for their stall.

But apart from a couple of children carrying two red balloons bearing the Scottish New Labour slogan, there were no "grown-up" Labour campaigners.

Labour voters' switch

Their absence might have had something to do with the crowd of Volvo workers walking about carrying placards saying Labour's betrayed us - "don't vote Labour".

And when the result was declared in Ayr's Citadel Leisure Centre, it was clear Labour's core voters hadn't - many of them had plumped instead for the SNP or the Scottish Socialists.

The lack of Labour activity on the ground in the weeks before Thursday 16 March led some observers to comment that they had seemed to have given up before they'd even started.

The credentials of their candidate Rita Miller as a South Ayrshire councillor also didn't help.

Council tax rises combined with cuts in services don't go down well - and the Carrick Street Halls encapsulated these problems.

This day care centre for almost 2,000 pensioners was virtually unknown outside Ayrshire before the politicians descended on the constituency - and highlighted its impending closure.

Counting procedures

As the ballot papers were being counted, representatives from all the parties scrutinised the counting procedure, feverishly making their own calculations.

An extremely calm member of the SNP's campaign team sat cross-legged on the floor at the back of the hall punching numbers into a computer.

The Nationalists were an impressive force in the constituency - leafleting just about every household and building. Coming from third position, they knew they had a fight on their hands.

They didn't win - but having taken second place and beaten Labour down to third in a seat where in the early days of the campaign, few people rated their chances of making any progress, they moved quickly to portray it as exactly that - a win.

The SNP leader Alex Salmond pointed out that this time Labour could not use the "Helen Liddell defence" - that voters were so content with Labour's performance they just didn't bother to vote at all.

Lost deposit

This time they had voted - and actively against Labour. The Lib Dems lost their deposit - again - for the third time in three years in Ayr.

But the award for most impressive spin on a night which no one could argue was anything other than disastrous for his party, went to the Shetland MSP Tavish Scott.

The Lib Dems polled the grand total of 800 votes - but Mr Scott found comfort in the encouraging turnout of just over 57%.

This showed that apathy about the parliament was definitely not alive and well.

Mr Scott was then refreshingly honest. It's not good for my party, he said, but it's good for democracy!

March 17 th 2000

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