Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Win once again?
Politics expert expecting Nationalists to keep seat
Election after election, since its creation in 1950, the seat has been held by the party with clear majorities.
Even with the growth of the SNP in the late 1960s and 1970s, Labour’s grip on the constituency remained firm for decades.
However, following the surge in SNP support after the 2014 independence referendum, the Nationalists took a decisive victory in Dundee West with a majority of more than 17,000 in 2015.
The party will be hoping to retain Dundee West with an equally distinct advantage.
However, with Brexit, a second independence referendum and other issues playing on voters’ minds, there’s plenty of scope for other parties to stake their claim to the seat.
The constituency is comprised of most of Dundee’s city centre, as well as Coldside, the Hilltown, the West End and other areas, such as Lochee, Charleston, Menzieshill, Downfield and St Mary’s.
The region’s rural population centres include Muirhead, Piperdam, Tealing and Kirkton of Auchterhouse.
Dr Moir believes the SNP will retain the seat, and thinks Labour’s attempts to claw back some of its lost support will fall flat.
“Dundee was a safe Labour seat which they held for many years,” he said.
“Their supporters are working class but the party had been seen by many people as taking that support for granted.
“Like the party base in England that has moved elsewhere — to UKIP, or even to the Conservatives — I think Dundee West will stay SNP. I don’t see that shifting and I don’t think Labour will make many inroads. There might even be a small Conservative surge on the back of Brexit.”
However, Dr Moir (pictured) didn’t rule out the SNP losing some degree of support when the party’s governance record is brought up.
He said: “Dundee has the reputation as the Yes City but we might see a slight downturn in SNP support.
“It’s the idea that the SNP took hits on things like education, that they’ve had their bite of the cherry and taken their eye off the ball. That’s the sort of impression people might be getting.”
Since the 2015 election, Dundee’s Waterfront, which lies at the border of the constituency, has started to take shape — as championed by Dundee’s SNP-led council administration.
Dr Moir believes that this could have an effect on some voters in Dundee West when they head to the polling stations tomorrow — but whether that effect is positive or negative is another question.
He said: “Dundee has done quite well in recent years with things such as the Waterfront and people see the European market being attracted to that and see the benefits of the V&A.
“People will see the employment prospects it has brought to the city and the idea that this could be an incremental thing for Dundee, encouraging development.
“You will get some people who say they don’t see the benefits though, especially in the outlying areas of the city. They’ll say, ‘That’s not where I am, how does that affect me?’
“It’s something we debate at Abertay as well.
“We bring i n secondary school children and encourage them to play out that debate — if the gentrification of the city is of benefit in the long term.”
UNLIKE its eastern cousin, Dundee West was until recently an unshakeable Labour stronghold.