Falkirk West By-election 2000

'Labour came under fire yesterday after spending more money on promotional videos ahead of the Falkirk West by-election than the budget increase given to OAPs.' By Alison Middleton in the Aberdeen Press & Journal, 19 th December 2000

Falkirk election video row

By Alison Middleton in the Aberdeen Press & Journal, 19 th December 2000

A five-figure sum is believed to have been spent providing 10,000 free videos Ð featuring interviews with Labour candidate Eric Joyce Ð which are being distributed throughout the constituency ahead of Thursday's election.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Labour was accused of electioneering following a 19.4% increase in Falkirk Council's local-government settlement.

SNP by-election candidate David Kerr said: "They obviously aren't interested in the tens of thousand of other voters in Falkirk West. "People in Falkirk West will be scunnered by this crude, money-wasting tactic. Each video delivered to a Falkirk home by New Labour has cost more than the miserable 75p-a-week rise Tony Blair gave to Falkirk pensioners this year.

"It will be very clear now to local electors that New Labour only spends money when they want to buy votes."

Scotland Office Minister Brian Wilson said the video was an effective vehicle to get the message across.

"It is the first time video has been used in this way in Scotland. He's already met thousands of constituents on the doorstep, in the street, and at public meetings.

"But you can only do so much pressing the flesh in a three-week campaign.

"The video means that thousands more voters will hear a personal appeal from Eric and will be better placed to decide if they want him to represent them at Westminster."

- Dec