29-10-04
Colinton shows only Lib Dems can challenge Labour in General Election – Barrett
John
Barrett, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today said
the result of the Colinton by-election showed
the Tories
to be a spent force in Edinburgh and that only the Liberal
Democrats would be able to seriously challenge Labour in
next year’s General Election.
Last night, Liberal Democrat, Stuart Bridges came just
150 votes short of winning the previously safe Conservative
council
seat of Colinton. The Liberal Democrat vote increased
from 12% last year to 42% this time round. The Tory
vote fell from 63% to just 46%.
Commenting on the result, John Barrett said:
“This is a fantastic result, which is a credit to Stuart Bridges
and his team. For the Tories to come close to losing,
not just one of their safest council seats in Edinburgh
but one of their safest seats in the whole ofScotland,
is nothing
short of extraordinary.
“This election is just the latest in a string of excellent
results for the Liberal Democrats inEdinburgh. It
shows that whilst the tide may be turning against Labour,
the tide
is still well and truly out for the Conservatives in the
Capital. The Tories talk of a great revival but the
facts show they are a spent force inEdinburgh.
“It is now obvious that only the Liberal Democrats are seriously
able to challenge Labour’s hold on the City ofEdinburgh. We
already have an excellent team of prospective parliamentary
candidates who are now relishing next year’s General
Election. I believe we can look forward to that campaign
with great confidence.”
The Colinton result was also notable for the poor performance
of the Labour Party, which received less than 8% of the
vote. Colinton
is situated in the Edinburgh South West seat being contested
by Alistair Darling in next year’s General Election.
Mr Barrett added:
“After this result, Alastair Darling could be excused for
considering his coat to be on a shaky peg. However,
rather than worrying about the Conservatives, it is the
Liberal Democrats that the Transport Secretary should be
looking
over his shoulder at.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
· The full result of the Colinton
by-election was as follows
| Conservative | 1,830 | 45.9% | -16.8% |
| Liberal Democrat | 1,680 | 42.2% | +30.4% |
| Labour | 289 | 7.3% | -8.3% |
| SNP | 145 | 3.6% | -6.3% |
| Scottish Socialist | 38 | 1.0% | +1.0% |
Turnout: 61.1%