Falkirk West By-election 2000

'You can't tell all the truth all the time, can you? No. No. Nobody does.' Labour Deputy Leader, John Prescott in the Sunday Times, 13 th April 1997.

Defector to SNP is 'dark horse' in poll

By Michael Settle in Herald 3 rd October 2000

Former director of the charity War on Want Margaret Lynch, who was on Labour's approved list of candidates for Holyrood, quit in disillusion over the direction of New Labour, citing the failure of an ethical foreign policy, the imposition of tuition fees, and the cut in benefits for lone parents.

The front-runners to carry the Nationalist flag remain Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Graham Sutherland and local SNP council group leader David Alexander, who contested the seat at the last General Election.

Under SNP rules, the calling of any by-election demands a fresh selection process and it seems certain that Mr Sutherland, a teacher who contested Edinburgh West at the last General Election, and long-standing Councillor David Alexander, who fought Falkirk West in 1997, will be on the short list.

But Ms Lynch is being talked of as a dark horse in an Old Labour constituency where Labour has indicated that it will stick with former Army Major Eric Joyce as candidate.

One SNP source said last night: "If they want to stick with the most New Labour of New Labour candidates, then hell mend them."

Mr Canavan stunned the Labour hierarchy in Scotland and London by announcing that he would resign and spark a by-election, but he has insisted that he will not endorse a candidate at this stage.

The Scottish Socialist Party, led by MSP Tommy Sheridan, is hoping for his endorsement for candidate Ian Hunter, but Mr Canavan insisted last night that he was determined to remain impartial.

Ms Lynch originally came from the same wing of the Labour Party as Mr Canavan, as a left-wing trade unionist and founder, alongside him, of Scotland United, the cross-party Home Rule organisation.

She lives in Airdrie and has relatives in the constituency.

She eventually resigned from Labour over the kind of selection tactics which saw Mr Canavan frozen out and forced to stand as an independent.

Last night, Ms Lynch said she had made no decision yet on whether to seek the nomination as by-election candidate.

Mr Sutherland, a modern studies teacher in Edinburgh, is well-liked within the party and has already made clear that he is happy to contest a fresh selection process for the by-election, as required under party rule. He says that if someone else is selected, he will work for them.

Mr Alexander has also yet to throw his hat into the ring.

He told The Herald yesterday that he was keeping his options open, and there were other experienced councillors who might be considered.

However, he said the reason he had not sought to stand again at the General Election was that he believed in building the SNP from council-level up and had decided to devote himself to that task.

- Oct 5