Local By-elections

'The Church of Scotland yesterday attacked the Government for increasing spendding on the Millennium Dome at the expense of the poor and needy. The Greenwich flagship of secular celebration has come in for previous criticism but the General Assembly drew breath at the £780m bill which may rise further. Mr Findlay Turner (Saltcoats) contrasted this with pressing needs elsewhere: 'In Ayrshire, there is an appeal by the health service for a baby scanner which will only be funded by public subscription.' Chris Holme and Raymond Duncan in the Herald, 24 th May 2000.

Kilmarnock Central East (East Ayrshire) 29 th June 2000

East Ayrshire Unitary Council is composed of the old Kilmarnock & Loudoun and Cumnock & Doon Valley District Councils. The two parts of the council had very different political profiles. In 1992, for example, after the final District Council elections, Cumnock & Doon Valley council returned a Labour councillor in each of its ten wards, while in Kilmarnock & Loudoun, there was a hung council with 8 Labour, 7 SNP and 3 Conservative councillors.

The number of wards was increased by two in the new Unitary authority and at the election in May 1995, Labour took 22 seats, up by four, the SNP took eight, up one, while the Conservatives were wiped out.

In May 1999 the Scottish National Party made a major advance in East Ayrshire, cutting Labour's overall majority from 14 in 1995 to just two in 1999. Boundary changes here increased the number of wards from 32 to 30. Labour took 17 wards, down from 22, while the SNP took 14, up from eight with the Tories taking the final ward. The Labour vote in East Ayrshire was down from 56.4 % to 45.8 % while the SNP vote rose from 36.1 % to 40.8 %.

The Kilmarnock Central East ward is the most marginal on East Ayrshire Council. It was won in April by the Scottish National Party's Robert Stevenson with a majority of twelve over Labour's Gordon Walker.

Despite Labour's previous monopoly in Cumnock & Doon Valley, the new East Ayrshire authority now resembles Kilmarnock & Loudoun in 1992. Labour were fighting strongly here hoping to increase their majority on the council, while the SNP were hoping to increase their majority in this marginal ward.

In the event, there was no major change in the ward with a swing of 0.9 % from Labour to the Scottish National Party. The Conservatives increased their vote slightly by 1.8 % while the Scottish Socialist Party, standing for the first time, pushed the Liberal Democrats into fifth place. The result here is further evidence that, in central Scotland at least, the Scottish Socialist Party is gradually replacing the Liberal Democrats as the fourth party in Scottish politics.

The turnout was 44.9 %, down from 65.4 % in May 1999.

Following the by-election, the composition of East Ayrshire Council is unchanged at 17 Labour, 14 Scottish National Party and one Conservative.

SNP hold Kilmarnock central

From the Scottish National Party

SNP leader Mr Alex Salmond MSP said:

"This is an excellent victory for the SNP. The SNP swept New Labour aside in a seat that we just won last May, and more than doubled our majority.

"Even from a high SNP base in May 1999, there was still a swing from Labour to the SNP in the by-election.

"Lilian McLean will deliver first-class representation for the people of Kilmarnock Central, and her success illustrates the strengthening SNP vote as we approach the General Election."

Kilmarnock Central East - ward 9

29 th June 2000				6 th May 1999
Lilian McLean		445	38.0 %	Robert Stevenson		736	38.9 %
		417	35.6 %	Gordon Walker		724	38.3 %
		162	13.8 %	James Mundell		226	12.0 %
		83	7.1 %	George Law		204	10.8 %
		64	5.5 %
SNP hold	SNP maj.	28	2.4 %	SNP win	SNP maj.	12	0.6 %