Local vote ‘springboard’ for the general election

Parties hail momentum for June 8 after council ballot – and Tories, Lib Dems and Labour target key seats they want to take from SNP

Council election gains could give pro-UK parties the momentum to win back seats in next month’s general election, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader has claimed.

Willie Rennie pointed to a rise in votes across his party’s target constituencies as reason for optimism heading into the next electoral contest.

Each of the Lib Dems, Conservatives and Labour have identified key seats – including North East Fife for the Liberals and Perth and North Perthshire for the Tories – where they will try to persuade supporters of their traditional opponents to lend them votes in an attempt to oust sitting SNP MPs.

Mr Rennie, the MSP for North East Fife, said: “These results show that we are strongest in the areas where we are challenging the SNP at Westminster on June 8 – Edinburgh, East Dunbartonshire, the Highlands, North East Fife and Argyll.

“This shows we are challenging the SNP on June 8 in those places for the Westminster election.”

Much attention has already been focused on Perth and North Perthshire, held by the SNP’s Pete Wishart, and the fact the Tories took control of the local council is likely to add further spice to the contest.

Ian Duncan, the Conservative MEP and candidate said: “Today’s result makes one thing crystal clear: in Perthshire, the Scottish Conservatives have the strength to fight back against the SNP.”

The only seat across Tayside and Fife on Scottish Labour’s radar is Dunfermline and West Fife, where the party only narrowly kept the Tories in third place in the local elections.

Kezia Dugdale, the party’s leader, said: “At the general election on June 8, despite the Tory increase in vote share, these results show that only Labour can defeat the SNP in many first-past-thepost seats in Scotland.

“The only way to send a message to Nicola Sturgeon that we don’t want another divisive referendum is to vote Labour in places such as East Lothian, Edinburgh South, and across Glasgow.”

Nicola Sturgeon hailed the SNP’s local election results as a “great springboard” for the House of Commons contest.

“It is quite clear on the back of the English results that Theresa May is on course to win the (general) election.

“What the question is for Scotland is, do we want to make sure there are voices for Scotland with an opposition that can hold the Government to account?

“It’s clear that Labour cannot do that, they are barely fit for opposition. If you want that from Scotland, it can only come from the SNP.”

It is quite clear on the back of the English results that Theresa May is on course towinthe election. NICOLA STURGEON