Ayr by-election 2000

saltire shield'Democracy usually wins eventually. One of its successes on the road to Home Rule was getting rid of the Scottish Grand Committee which was Scottish only for part of its miserable life, never grand, and not much of a committee. It might not be anti-democratic, but at best it is supernumerary.'
Murray Ritchie in the Herald, 11 th February 2000.		Lion Rampant

Tories set for Ayr victory

From BBC News

Counting is under way in the Ayr by-election and indications are that the Tories are set to snatch the seat from Labour.

Labour won the seat at last May's election by just 25 votes, the smallest majority in the Scottish Parliament, but the winner, Ian Welsh, resigned in December.

Turnout was 55%, compared with 66% in May.

After the polls closed, BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor predicted that the Conservatives would win, giving them their first by-election gain from a rival party since 1967.

The Scottish National Party was heading for second place and Labour a distant third, our correspondent said.

The by-election has been described as the public's first real chance to give their opinions of the Scottish Executive's performance since devolution.

16 th March 2000


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