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Fife Matters: Fife proof positive of why your vote matters

The SNP's Stephen Gethins retained his seat in North East Fife by just two votes, ahead of Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Riches at the 2017 General Election. He then lost the seat in 2019.
The SNP's Stephen Gethins retained his seat in North East Fife by just two votes, ahead of Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Riches at the 2017 General Election. He then lost the seat in 2019.

Scrolling through social media on Thursday, one could have been forgiven for getting a wee bit irritated at the Twitter and Facebook sages telling us all we simply had to get out and vote.

Every second post was someone pointing out they had either voted, or extolling the virtues of voting.

“It’s 104 years to the day since Emily Davison died for the women’s right to vote, so you simply HAVE to.”

“Our forefathers fought and died for your freedom to vote.”

“I’ve voted, why haven’t you?”

And so on and so on.

It all got a bit grating in the end as, like the vast majority of people reading this, I’m well aware of how important exercising the right to vote is.

But while I’m generally also respectful of people’s right not to vote should they swing that way, that incredible result in North East Fife should surely have even the most apathetic of people clamouring to the polls next time around.

Three recounts, very nearly a fourth, and it all came down to just two votes between the SNP and Liberal Democrats. Two votes.

That’s two people who maybe thought about voting, looked outside to see the heavens open and said to themselves: “Nah, I’ll watch Doctors on the Beeb instead.”

That’s two people who may have braved the rain on Thursday, even got as far as the polling booth and perhaps changed their mind about who to plump for.

Hell, that’s two people who purposely went to vote and solidly marked their X next to the candidate of their choice.

The stattos tell me it was the equal-narrowest victory in UK general election history, tied with National Labour’s Abraham Flint in Ilkeston in 1931 and Lib Dem Mark Oaten in Winchester 20 years ago.

Whatever the history books say, I certainly can’t remember anything like that – and I doubt I’ll ever see anything as close as that again.

But if ever proof was needed of why your vote matters when you are called to the ballot box, Thursday night’s North East Fife drama is undeniably it.

God only knows how those North East Fife residents who decided against it are feeling now.