|
******************************************************************
PRESS RELEASE
Immediate Release: 28 July 2008
Borders SNP Joy at Glasgow East By Election Victory
|
New SNP MP for Glasgow East, John Mason
arrives in London after overturning a 13,500 Labour majority |
Borders politicians were quick to congratulate the victorious SNP
candidate in Glasgow East for the sensational result announced in
the early hours of Friday. John Mason pulled off a sensational
victory, overturning a 13,500 Labour majority with a 22.5% swing
from Labour to the SNP in Labour's 3rd safest Scottish seat, while
the Lib Dems lost their deposit.
SNP Westminster candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk,
Paul Wheelhouse
said:
"The sheer scale of John Mason’s victory was breathtaking. I am
delighted that John is now joining the SNP group at Westminster and
he will work tirelessly on behalf of his new constituents to deliver
the improvements they seek.”
"The
voters of Glasgow have demonstrated a clear preference for the
approach and track record of the SNP Government at Holyrood rather
than the tired and increasingly ineffective UK government in London.
I canvassed in Glasgow myself and met many voters who were not
merely wishing to send the UK Government a message but who were
turned off by Labour negative campaigning and responding to the
SNP’s positive vision for Scotland. The SNP's delivery in
government and the measures we are taking to improve people's lives,
to freeze council tax and to reduce business rates are resonating
with people across Scotland.
“Back in the Borders this weekend undertaking a residents’ survey
in Berwickshire, I was taken aback at just how warmly John Mason’s
victory over Labour had been received. The fact that voters in
Glasgow have shown their trust in the SNP, to deliver the policies
needed to reverse decades of Labour neglect and complacency, has hit
a chord with my fellow Borders voters.
"The SNP will be demanding action on fuel duty, jobs and food
prices, which are really beginning to hurt families. Scotland
remains a larger producer of oil than Kuwait, but does not control
our own oil resources. An immediate priority must be to force the
UK Labour government to reduce fuel duty in areas poorly served by
public transport and where tourism, agriculture and manufacturing
are heavily fuel dependent.
“Labour’s decision to merely delay yet another fuel duty rise in
response to SNP pressure in Glasgow, while a relief, simply does not
go far enough and they are also refusing to follow France’s example
and lower fuel costs for our hard-pressed fishing sector. Action on
fuel prices would help lower the cost of both producing and
transporting food to customers in the Borders."
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk SNP constituency convenor,
Councillor Kenneth Gunn
(Selkirkshire) said of the Glasgow result:
"This is a brilliant swing for the SNP and would deliver the party
37 Labour-held seats at the next Westminster election including
Gordon Brown’s own seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. The SNP's
target of 20 seats at Westminster is now well within our grasp, as
this swing shows. More people across Scotland want to see MPs
working for Scotland, not simply acting as lobby fodder for Lib
Dems, Labour or Tories in London.”
“We believe the Borders has suffered from decades of neglect from
all the London-based parties, including the Lib Dems. Local SNP
members, many of whom travelled to help with John Mason’s campaign,
now have a real spring in our step and have gained vital campaign
experience in the process.
“The SNP in the Borders will be redoubling our efforts to ensure
that we not only continue to connect with voters on the issues that
matter and to communicate our positive vision for Scotland’s future,
but to ensure that our constituency is one of at least 20 SNP gains
at the next election."
ENDS
|
