Local Byelections

'The Tories haven't saved their bacon as a result of the reorganistaion.' John Bocel in The Scotsman 15 th March 1995.

Hill of Beath (Fife) 2nd May 1996

Labour held on to their Hill of Beath seat in Fife with a greatly reduced majority. Pushing the Labour party hard was the Democratic left (the old Communists) who took almost one third of the vote. The high percentage vote for the Democratic Left may not be as surprising as it might first seem as Fife was the last bastion of the Communist party in Scotland and was represented by a Communist MP, Willie Gallacher, until 1950. In wooing Middle England voters by espousing right wing policies it appears that New Labour are now perceived as 'Tartan Tories' and the Cowdenbeath electorate responded by voting for a party which still supports traditional socialist values.

Hill of Beath

2nd May 1996				6 th April 1995
		821	60.1 %	George Bird		1,073	82.03 %
		413	30.2 %	Eric Duncan		235	17.97 %
		132	9.7 %
Lab hold	Lab maj	408	29.9 %	Lab gain	Lab maj	838	64.06 %