 | 'That by-election proved precious little in terms of what will happen next May; last week's ICM poll in this newspaper, which showed a continuing healthy Labour lead, was obviously a much better pointer.' Hilarious comments from a somewhat out-of touch Alan Cochrane in the Scotsman, 1 st December 1998 as he attempts to extol the virtues of disgraced pollsters ICM who were humiliated by their grossly inaccurate polling for the North East Scotland by-election. |  |
It give me great pleasure to remind me of your front-page headline 'Labour poised to slash Nationalists' vote (25 November), and Professor John Curtice's analysis inside: 'Future bright for buoyant Labour'. One would have hoped for objectivity from journalists and academics, but an increased SNP majority in the north-east Euro by-election, will have wiped the smirk from the faces of such people.
And before we hear the predictable dismissal of the result because of low turnout: a low poll, with Labour pushed into third place, means that a lot of people could not bring themselves to vote for Kathleen Walker Shaw or the Labour party.
Andrew C Wilson
Cothal, Aberdeenshire.
Sir,
Your poll last week on the north-east Euro by-election was grossly erroneous, well outwith the normal margins of errors. It underestimated SNP, Tory and Liberal Democrat support by 7, 6 and 3 per cent respectively, and suggested Labour support at double what was achieved, overestimating it by 19 per cent.
The publishing of unreliable, rogue polls can only mislead the electorate; a responsible newspaper should surely have qualms about splashing the opinion poll results over its front page. One also has to question the poll for Scotland as a whole.
(Dr) Derek A Barrie
Scottish Liberal Democrats, Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh.
Sir,
With regard to your report's claim (30 November) of the Tories being 'buoyed by their success in pushing Labour into third place in last week's north-east European by-election,' their percentage of the vote at the by-election was 19.85 per cent, a drop of 4.05 per cent from the 23.9 per cent they got at the general election, the supposed nadir of their fortunes.
Their second place was achieved by the Labour vote falling by a dramatic 10.23 per cent. The Liberal Democrats must also be disappointed. The SNP vote was equal to the Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat votes combined.
There are ten parliamentary seats in the Euro seat; at the general election, Labour won five with 28.7 per cent share of the vote; the SNP won three with 28.2 per cent; the Tories won none with 23.9 per cent; and the Liberal Democrats won two with 17.7 per cent. Last week, the SNP won with 48.03 per cent (up 19.83 per cent); the Tories were second with 19.85 per cent (down 4.05 per cent); Labour were third with 18.47 per cent (down 10.23 per cent); and the Liberal Democrats were fourth with 9.83 per cent (down by 7.87 per cent).
Perhaps the tones of the Unionists will have to become a lot more Scottish!
Margaret Murray
Binniehill Road, Cumbernauld.
It saddens me that Scotland on Sunday is prepared to aid and abet them in this strategy. Why not a single mention of the successful SNP candidate Ian Hudghton in that edition? There was an article and photograph of the Tory candidate who came second and an article on the Labour candidate who came third but nothing about Ian Hudghton who gained almost 50 %, more votes than any other candidate.
You have been vocal in your criticism of the appalling record of some Labour-controlled local councils over the past year yet here we have a man who heads the SNP-controlled Angus Council, voted Scotland's best run council by an independent body, who achieves an outstanding result in the by-election and he doesn't even warrant a mention!
Ian is a first-class choice, a worthy successor to the late lamented Allan Macartney - the man deserved better of you.
Pat Dishon
Edinburgh.
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