Local Government By-elections

'With the Scots Tories in eclipse and the Liberal Democrats unable to widen their front, who will be waiting to benefit north of the Border from Labour mistakes?'
Stuart Trotter in the Herald, 3 rd March 1997.

Downfield (Dundee) 1 st May 1997

The local government by-election in the Downfield ward of Dundee Council was held on 1 st May 1997, the same day as the general election. This ensured an increased turnout of 76.8 % up from 49.7 % in April 1995. The fact that two different elections were held on the same night allows comparisons to be made and some interesting conclusions to be drawn.

Downfield is in the north of Dundee in the parliamentary seat of Dundee West. There was a swing of 3.7 % from the Scottish National Party to Labour in Dundee West in the general election. The trend was reversed however in the Downfield ward where there was a swing of 14.5 % from Labour to the SNP. On a night when Labour was heading to a landslide parliamentary victory, their majority in Downfield was slashed from 550 to 131.

The Downfield result appears to confirm that many of the electorate vote for different parties at local and national level, even when the elections are held on the same day. The result is interesting in the light of a recent NOP opinion poll for the Sunday Times on 20 th April. Labour scored 47 % to the SNP's 28 % when respondents were asked how they would vote in the general election. However Labour's share fell to only 37 % compared to 36 % for the SNP in the same poll when voting intentions for a Scottish Parliament were requested. This suggests that elections to a Scottish Assembly could be hotly contested.

Downfield

1 st May 1997				6 th April 1995
		1,107	44.5 %	Myra Keenan		1,005	62.5 %
		976	39.3 %	Elisabeth Fordyce		455	28.3 %
		219	8.8 %	John Gowans		84	5.2 %
		184	7.4 %	Simon Spencer		71	4.0 %
Lab hold	Lab maj.	131	5.2 %	Lab hold	Lab maj.	550	34.2 %

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