 | 'The SNP made substantial progress in the West Lothian seat, registering a 10.2% swing. But in Cathcart, it was less successful in winning any tactical anti-Labour votes, with only a 3.7% swing.' Douglas Fraser, Tom Gordon and Robbie Dinwoodie in the Herald, 30 th September 2005. |  |
Labour last night beat off a Nationalist advance in the two seats it was defending at parliamentary by-elections, with turnout plummeting to its lowest ever level in Scotland.
Charlie Gordon, former leader of Glasgow City Council, won the Glasgow Cathcart seat at Holyrood with a majority of 2405 over the SNP, ensuring the Labour-Liberal Democrat majority at Holyrood remains at five.
The victory was despite Labour's embarrassment at its former MSP, Lord Watson of Invergowrie, being jailed for 16 months last week for fire-raising at an Edinburgh hotel.
The party also won the battle to succeed Robin Cook as MP for Livingston, after he collapsed and died last month while climbing in Sutherland.
Jim Devine, the union official who was agent to the late foreign secretary, won a berth at Westminster with a majority of 2680 over the SNP, down from 13,097. The Labour majority was slashed in both ballots.
The SNP made substantial progress in the West Lothian seat, registering a 10.2% swing. But in Cathcart, it was less successful in winning any tactical anti-Labour votes, with only a 3.7% swing.
The LibDems, who had claimed to be the main challengers in Livingston, only managed 15% of the vote in the West Lothian contest and 10% in the Glasgow seat. Conservatives fell to 7% in Livingston, less than half the LibDem vote, and were in third place in Cathcart with 15%, a seat they held until 1979.
It was a disappointing night for the Scottish Socialists, losing more than half their vote share in Cathcart, with only 819 votes. They won less than half that in Livingston, with only 1.4% of votes. The results will put pressure on Colin Fox, who replaced Tommy Sheridan as the party's national convener last year.
Pat Lally, former Glasgow lord provost and council leader, who stood as an independent in Cathcart, also had a disappointing result, with only 856 votes. At the 2003 election, his candidacy in opposition to hospital closures won 2419 votes, or 11%.
Turnout in Glasgow Cathcart fell below 32%, meaning Mr Gordon won with only one in eight of the electorate. The lowest point previously at a by-election was 38% with the Holyrood by-election to replace Donald Dewar in Glasgow Anniesland four years ago.
In Livingston, turnout was 38.6%, down from 47% in 2003. At the May Westminster election, it was 20 points
higher than yesterday, but the disappointing turnout was still far from the record low 19.6% at Leeds Central in 1999. Sir Neil McIntosh, Scottish member of the electoral commission, said the turnout was "deeply disappointing" and "intensely worrying".
Nicola Sturgeon, SNP deputy leader, said the Livingston swing would win 28 seats for the SNP if the same pattern were followed nationally. But the results will be disappointing for a party in need of actual seats gained if it is to build momentum ahead of the Holyrood election in May 2007.
Mr Devine paid tribute to his predecessor, and promised to pursue his values.
"My vision is of a granny state, where every granny and granddad in West Lothian can look down on their children and grandchildren and say 'yes, they are healthier, yes they are wealthier and yes, they are wiser as a result of the work of the Labour government'," he said.
Mr Gordon spoke of "a hard-won Labour victory", while Jack McConnell, with whom he has had a rocky relationship, said: "My particular congratulations go to Charlie Gordon. I am looking forward to welcoming him to the Scottish Parliament next week."
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