Legal fight looms over two-vote defeat

THE Liberal Democrats are considering court action to demand another election in North East Fife after losing by only two votes.

Nationalist MP Stephen Gethins clung onto his seat by the most slender of margins in a dramatic election count in the seat, a key Lib Dem target.

After the first count, the Lib Dem candidate Elizabeth Riches had the biggest share of the votes. But the SNP demanded a recount – only for the Lib Dems to again have a tiny majority.

Following a third count, the SNP edged ahead – sparking a recount demand from the Lib Dems. Following the fourth count, just before 7am yesterday, the SNP was awarded the seat with a majority of two votes.

If just one more voter had switched from the SNP to the Lib Dems, the seat would have needed to be determined by a coin toss.

After the fourth count, the Lib Dems demanded another recount. But the party’s demands were rejected by Returning Officer Steve Grimmond.

Lib Dem sources say it was unfair that the SNP was allowed two recounts but their demands were rejected – and they could now take legal action to demand a re-election.

One party source said: ‘We argued for a fifth count but that was rejected. The Returning Officer can have the final say and went ahead and declared the result.

‘If we appeal and take it to court it would not mean Elizabeth would become the MP if we win – it would mean another election.

‘We were ahead in two counts, then they were ahead in two counts. We thought it would only be fair to have a fifth count.’