Voters clear on Indyref2
Voters in Scotland went to the polls for the eighth time in five years recently to elect representatives to Westminster and I would like to start this column by congratulating both Luke Graham and Pete Wishart for their respective victories.
I would like to also send my commiserations to Ian Duncan who missed out by just 21 votes.
As someone who fell short by 48 votes in 2001 I know only too well the disappointment of coming so near yet so far. However, I am sure that Ian will use this result to positive effect in the future.
It won’t have escaped anyone’s attention that the Scottish Conservatives had a truly fantastic night last Thursday. Our vote share increased in virtually every seat, and we returned the greatest number of Scottish Conservative MPs since 1983.
In Ochil and South Perthshire, our new MP, Luke Graham, overturned an SNP majority of more than 14,000 to defeat the SNP. Luke ran a fantastic campaign which was built on his experience in the campaign two years ago. Above all, Luke understands the local issues at play and will be a strong and vocal advocate for the area. After many years of Labour and SNP representation it is fantastic to see the area held by a Conservative MP once again.
In both Perthshire seats votes for parties committed to Scotland’s place in the UK polled an incredible 65 per cent and 58 per cent of the electorate. This has sent a strong message to Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP, and that is the people of this part of the world do not want a divisive second independence referendum.
Across Scotland the SNP were just 635 votes away from losing a majority of their Scottish seats. The SNP share of the vote collapsed to just 37 per cent which underlines
The SNP were just 635 votes away from losing a majority of their Scottish seats
the significant change in public opinion over the past two years. The tide has clearly turned against the SNP’s agenda and the new Scottish Conservative MPs will work hard to build on their success and put forth a fresh vision for Scotland.
In the immediate election post-mortem pundits were quick to state that opposing indyref 2 was the sole reason for Conservative success in Scotland. However, politics is never that simple. Clearly strong and principled opposition to a second vote in the near future struck a chord with a significant number of voters, but it is not the only factor in our success. Unique policies on education, taxation and the police have proved popular in Scotland. At Westminster in a hung parliament environment, Scottish Conservative MPs will be the ones standing up for Scotland. The group of 13 is packed with people from across society bringing to the table different backgrounds and experiences. We have former lawyers, MSPs and even a football referee. This blend of personalities will be a force for good in the Commons and I look forward to watching their progress as they work to represent the interests of all of their constituents.
Ms Smith can be contacted via: Control Tower, Perth Airport, Scone, PH2 6PL; via telephone on 01738 553 990 or via email to Elizabeth. Smith.MSP@parliament.scot