Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'Mole can reveal that the Record's hilarious campaign to 'save Scotland's mince' is not a well-meaning attempt to rescue Elite, an alleged thriller written by Helen Liddell, from the remainder shelves.' Radical Scotland, Aug/Sept 1990.

Airdrie & Shotts (Central Scotland Region)

	Gil Paterson		Karen Whitefield
	Patrick Ross-Taylor		Rev. David Miller

The core of the new seat is Monklands East, which was created in 1983 with 72% of its voters from Coatbridge & Airdrie, 17% from North Lanarkshire and 10% from Bothwell. The new Airdrie & Shotts seat consists of Airdrie from the old Monklands East seat with the addition of Shotts area from Motherwell North.

Monklands East was part of the old Monklands District Council, the cause of the notorious 'Monklandsgate' scandal. Monklandsgate consisted of allegations of sectarianism spending discrepancies between Protestant Airdrie and Catholic Coatbridge fuelled by the fact that all 17 of the ruling Labour group were Roman Catholics. Accusations included: £21m spent on capital projects in Coatbridge while only £2m was spent in Airdrie; councillors handing out green job application forms while the job centre handed out white ones; and also accusations of nepotism as dozens of council workers were related to Labour Councillors. The accusations were of increased interest to the media as the Monklands West MP was Tom Clarke, former Monklands District Provost and onetime Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, while the Monklands East MP was the Labour leader, John Smith. This led to accusations that John Smith was a weak leader, unable to impose democracy on his local council.

The tragic death of John Smith in 1994 led to a by election campaign and although Labour's Helen Liddell and the SNP's Kay Ullrich attempted to debate other issues, inevitably Monklandsgate was what the public and journalists wanted to talk about. The Labour candidate and ex-Captain Bob executive, Helen Liddell at first denied the accusations against the Labour council. However, in the final days of the campaign she made a major U-turn, admitting that there were discrepancies and she pledged to cleanse the Aegean stables of Coatbridge and Airdrie. Liddell was immediately attacked by the ex-Monklands Provost turned MP for Monklands West, Tom Clarke who was supported by Jimmy Wray, MP for Glasgow Provan. Wray was summoned to Aidrie by a furious George Robertson (then Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland) where he was confronted with official council figures and forced to recant.

Labour held on to the seat with John Smith's 1992 majority of 15,700 over the SNP slashed to only 1,600. Iain MacWhirter echoed the thoughts of many when he wrote in the Scotsman 'Labour did not deserve to win.'

In the 1997 General election, Mrs Liddell consolidated her victory with a 15,412 majority over the SNP's Cllr Keith Robertson. Many were surprised when Liddell, an MP of less than three years standing, was given a senior ministerial position at the Treasury. However, Mrs Liddell took to the post like a duck to water. It was acknowledged, even by her enemies, of whom she has many, especially in her own party, that she was one of the most effective ministers in Blair's government. Liddell even became tipped as a future British Prime Minister.

Then disaster struck. With the SNP soaring in the opinion polls, Blair wanted Liddell back in the Scottish trenches to lead the counter attack. She was sent back home, against her wishes, to the political graveyard of Scotland where she took over as Donald Dewar's deputy, displacing Henry McLeish. Liddell's appointment immediately caused a scandal when it was revealed that she would be paid a full Minister of State's salary despite the fact that she was to be given only half of Brian Wilson's workload. She took responsibility for Education and little else with the other half of Brian Wilson's ministry, Industry being hived off first to Donald Dewar and then to Gus (now Lord) Macdonald.

In the Monklands by-election campaign, Liddell often proclaimed 'I um a feightur!' This is certainly true and not only the SNP have been the victims of punitive attacks by Liddell. Many of the Scottish teaching profession, the subjects of Liddell's current vendetta, must be regretting that she was not given responsibility for Industry rather than Education. Awesome in attack, although somewhat indiscriminate in her targets, Liddell is intransigent and incapable of diplomacy. A destroyer rather than a builder, she is like a miniature barbarian army which seems determined to send Scotland back to the Dark Ages.

Opinion is divided regarding Liddell's impact in Scotland. Liddell herself believes that she has single handedly turned the tide against the SNP, while many of her colleagues believe that her negative campaigning is only giving the SNP publicity and making the Government look panicked and irresponsible. Whoever is right, Mrs Liddell will be a force to be reckoned with in the Scottish Parliament. Although she is not standing for Holyrood, she is favourite to succeed Dewar as Scottish Secretary and whoever becomes Scotland's first First Minister will have to deal with Liddell as London's Man in Scotland. Spare a thought for Scotland's first Prime Minister when he has to go cap in hand to Liddell and ask 'Please, Sir, Can I have some more?'

1 st May 1997 Westminster Election

Logo	Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Helen Liddell	25,460	61.82%
	Scottish National Party	Cllr Keith Robertson	10,048	24.40%
	Conservative	Dr Nicholas Brook	3,660	8.89%
	Liberal Democrat	Richard Wolsely	1,719	4.17%
	Referendum	Crawford Semple	294	0.71%
	Lab hold	Lab majority	15,412	37.42%

Links

• Airdrie & Shotts Constituency and Gil Paterson (Scottish National Party)

• Karen Whitefield (Labour)

• Airdrie & Shotts Constituency and Patrick Ross-Taylor (Conservative)

• Lanark Lib Dems and Rev. David Miller (Liberal Democrat)

• The Unofficial Helen Liddell Fan Club