‘The support did not turn into votes that count’

ONE of the most high-profile candidates in the campaign in the City of Discovery was Jim Malone.

The Labour candidate stood for Dundee West and was always an outside bet to regain the seat for the party from the SNP’s Chris Law.

But, despite the predictions, Mr Malone still believed he had a chance of success.

Until Mr Law took the seat from Labour in 2015 the party had been its sole occupiers of it since its inception in 1950.

Following his defeat, Mr Malone admitted he was disappointed but not entirely surprised.

He said: “We fought a very high-profile campaign in Dundee West.

“Sadly the support we were met with on the doorsteps did not turn into votes that count.”

He added: “People liked what we were saying but coming from 5,000 votes behind it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

“What we didn’t anticipate however, was the increased majority the SNP gained.

“We were also up against a national swing behind the nationalists and we did notice in the last few days that it was going to be difficult to defeat them.”

Meanwhile, winner Chris Law responded to criticism that had been levelled against him.

He had been under fire during the campaign after he had not attended hustings in the constituency.

He said: “We always agreed that we would share the hustings.

“I notified in advance that I wouldn’t attend the one in Lochee and it was agreed that Stewart Hosie would attend the one at Dundee University.

“I fought a clean campaign and a very hard campaign.”