Can Labour weather the storm in Fife by-election?

A former police officer standing for Labour hopes to fend off a challenge from an SNP councillor’s husband in a Fife by-election this Thursday.

Labour hopes to stem the anger against the party’s winter fuel payment cuts as the nationalists eye an upset.

Here’s all you need to know about the contest to replace Graeme Downie, who stood down after becoming the new Dunfermline and Dollar MP in July.

Will Labour hold on?

Labour candidate Karen Beaton is the favourite to win the contest if previous results are anything to go by.

Her party defeated the SNP by more than 8,000 votes at the Westminster election.

But the national outlook has changed since then and Labour’s polling has slumped, with over 2,000 in the constituency joined calls for a fresh general election.

Ms Beaton admits concerns over winter fuel cuts have come up on the doorstep.

The UK Government has controversially limited who receives the benefit, which was previously paid to all pensioners.

However, Ms Beaton argues it is the SNP’s responsibility to maintain payments in Scotland and hopes that message will cut through with local voters.

Ms Beaton previously worked as a child protection officer for Police Scotland.

“I’ve dealt with some harrowing things and seen people in desperate situations,” she told The Courier.

“I have a caring nature. I’m out to help people.”

Can the SNP cause an upset?

SNP candidate Paul Steele, an engineer for bus firm Stagecoach, hopes frustration at the Labour government can help him cause an upset.

The SNP defied some predictions and pulled off two victories in Dundee last month.

“I think it’s winnable,” he said.

Mr Steele said the winter fuel row was being brought up constantly as he spoke to voters.

“A lot of people are saying they’re not going to vote Labour because they feel lied to,” he said.

If he’s elected, Mr Steele won’t need to go far for advice.

His wife, Sam, is already an SNP councillor in west Fife.

Her main pointer for him is non-political – keep on top of your workload.

“One thing I’ve given him advice on is keeping up to date with everything,” she said.

Who else is running?

Seven candidates are standing in the race, including former Dunfermline South Tory Councillor David Ross, who lost his seat in 2022 and is hoping for a comeback.

He shares his name with Labour’s local council chief.

“We got a lot of emails for each other,” said Mr Ross, who is blind and works for a pensions company.

Notable is the absence of Nigel Farage’s Reform, which has been surging across Scotland.

The party picked up nearly 3,000 votes in Dunfermline and Dollar at the UK election.

Tory hopeful Mr Ross admitted some voters on the doorstep were disappointed by their absence.

“There were two or three people who said they were Tory voters but want to vote for Reform,” he told us.

Paul Buchanan-Quigley is standing for the Lib Dems.

His party was previously successful in the area, winning the old Dunfermline West seat at the 2007 Holyrood election.

Fiona McEwan is the Green candidate, and Danny Smith is contesting the seat for the Scottish Family Party.

A surprise pledge for ‘independence’

The seventh and final hopeful may have the most striking platform of all.

Independent candidate George Morton believes Fife should become an independent nation.

He may have some work to do before he convinces locals a clean break is a good idea.

In July’s general election, just 88 voters across Dunfermline and Dollar backed him.