SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY VICTORY IN LOANHEAD BY-ELECTION

Motion Text

That this House congratulates Councillor Owen Thompson on his election as the Scottish National Party's (SNP) latest elected representative following his decisive victory in the local authority by-election in Loanhead in Midlothian Council on the night of Thursday 10th November; notes that this victory was gained by a massive swing from Labour and Liberal Democrat voters which saw the SNP vote increase by nearly 30 per cent.; recognises that the seat was won against a strong campaign by the Labour Party's ex-Council Leader who had previously held the seat for 17 years until narrowly losing it by 12 votes in 2003 to an independent; welcomes the fact that the SNP has won the majority of local by-elections held since the 2005 election with five gains out of nine contests; further welcomes the fact that in all the nine by-elections the SNP is far ahead of the other parties in terms of the popular vote; and views this victory as a solid indication that the choice for Scottish voters in the 2007 elections will be a clear one between an SNP Executive with a vision of taking Scotland forward, or the failing Labour-LibDem Executive holding Scotland back on behalf of London.