Battle between Labour and SNP set to carry on with Dundee East vote

DESPITE Dundee’s new reputation as the “Yes City”, Dundee East has swung between the SNP and Labour for more than 40 years.

The Nationalists took the seat in 1974 and held on by a few thousand votes at each election until 1987, at which point it was passed to Labour by a margin of just over 1,000.

The constituency was turned yellow again i n 2005 and has remained that way since, the SNP boosting its majority to almost 20,000 in 2015.

Dundee East includes all areas of the city east of the Tay Road Bridge, including City Quay and suburban areas like Craigie, Fintry, Whitfield, and Douglas, the latter of which have traditionally boasted strong Labour support. According to Dr Moir (inset below) the SNP has started to fill gaps in Labour support where once staunch supporters have given up on their traditional party. He said: “In Dundee, the SNP has taken on where Labour was once strong. People may feel the party has taken their support for granted. “Despite the resurge in the polls of Labour recently, I don’t see that affecting the vote up here.” Dundee East also stretches from Broughty Ferry as far east as Carnoustie and as far north as Finlarg Hill — bringing a rural factor into consideration. The constituency also cuts across two Angus council wards — Carnoustie and District and Monifieth and Sidlaw — which both boast strong SNP support.

Despite the outcome of Dundee’s local elections, which saw the SNP partner with an independent councillor to retain the administration, Dr Moir says the party will be confident ahead of the polls on Thursday.

He said: “Local elections were to some extent for the SNP a warning shot across the bow. Labour now has potential but I would like to think the SNP will hang on.”

He added that the SNP’s populist appeal has seen the party win support across the political spectrum — whether in deprived areas where Labour support has fallen away, or rural regions where Brexit remains a cagey issue.

“The SNP has been getting and marshalling support from rural areas as well as urban areas,” he said.

“They’ve carried that sort of support across the board, across the left and right. They’ve nailed their colours to the mast: anti-austerity, and the idea that they want to seek and keep some special deal for Scotland in the European Union.”

Much as in other seats around Tayside, Dr Moir believes Brexit will play on the minds of voters in what he has branded an “issue-based” election.

However, given that Dundee voted to remain in the EU, he believes the SNP will be unconcerned.

“I still think Brexit is driving it all,” he said. “But there’s almost an idea that Dundee has made its decision now and will stay with it.

“You see the SNP playing on the idea of what’s in Scotland’s interests, this idea that Scotland has done well out of Europe, and the issue of immigration is not as strong in Scotland as it has been elsewhere in the UK.”