A Fife Labour MP firmly believes his party can come back from their hugely disappointing showing in last Thursday’s Scottish Parliament elections.
Certain parts of Fife have been Labour strongholds for many years but the political map changed beyond many people’s expectation last week, with a win in Cowdenbeath the only saving grace for Labour.
Fife’s other four Scottish Parliamentary constituencies all went to the SNP, including the normally safe seat of Kirkcaldy where Marilyn Livingstone the town’s MSP since devolution in 1999 lost out to Nationalist candidate David Torrance.
Lindsay Roy, who represents the Glenrothes constituency at Westminster, admitted, “From a Labour perspective, the result was most disappointing but not unexpected, given the national polls and the boundary changes.
“On the doorsteps, the Labour vote seemed to hold up well but we did not attract other voters to a positive agenda.”
There was also disappointment in the Glenrothes area itself for Labour, as the SNP’s Tricia Marwick won the newly-formed Mid Fife and Glenrothes seat by increasing her majority over nearest Labour candidate Claire Baker.
However, Mrs Baker was one of three Labour MSPs returned to Holyrood via the regional list route in Mid Scotland and Fife.
“From a personal perspective, I congratulate Tricia Marwick on retaining this seat and will continue to work with her, wherever possible, on the many matters of mutual interest and concern in support of our constituents,” Mr Roy said.
Labour’s Helen Eadie was returned in Cowdenbeath with a majority of just 1247 over the SNP, but that was the only high point for the party locally at the end of an extraordinary election.
As well as Mr Torrance’s shock win in Kirkcaldy, the SNP’s Bill Walker surprised many when he beat Labour’s Alex Rowley and Jim Tolson from the Liberal Democrats in Dunfermline, while the SNP’s Rod Campbell saw off Lib Dem Iain Smith in North East Fife with Labour’s Colin Davidson back in fourth spot.
Photo David Wardle.