 | 'Over the next five years, the London Treasury will collect £20bn in Scottish oil revenues - a third of Gordon Brown's war chest - yet next year the extra spending in Scotland will be less than £400m' SNP Deputy leader, John Swinney, 20 th March 2000. |  |
Iain Hunter, the SSP candidate, and his supporters donned Christmas hats for their opening news conference and predicted Labour would be "stuffed like turkeys".
"If you really believe electing another New Labour MP to Westminster will make one iota of difference then you can hang up your stocking and start believing in Santa," said Colin Fox, the SSP's campaign manager. Predicting a low turnout he attacked Tony Blair for bemoaning voter apathy in Glasgow Anniesland and then calling a by-election four days before Christmas.
Mr Hunter, a 31-year-old local community worker, claimed there was no room for a cigarette paper between the other candidates on crucial issues including poverty, inequality, and the need to abolish the council tax. He accused Labour of hiding its candidate as it had done in Glasgow Anniesland and said any endorsement from Mr Canavan would be welcome - "but he has not made any move, although we would welcome it if he did".
Donald Gorrie, chairing the Lib Dem campaign in Falkirk West, introduced the party's candidate, Hugh O'Donnell, and called on Labour to spend more on services.
Mr Gorrie said the Tories now admitted they would introduce cuts of £8000m - meaning £12m in Falkirk West - but would not say what they would cut. "Liberal Democrats have shown through our work both in the Scottish parliament and at Westminster that we can already deliver on issues like the abolition of tuition fees and extra funding for the NHS.
Voting Liberal Democrat in this by-election will give a real boost to our aim to give the people of Falkirk a better deal." Raymond Robertson, Tory chairman, speaking in support of the Conservative candidate - Craig Stevenson, aged 37, a lecturer in plumbing - rounded on Gordon Brown, the chancellor, for visiting the constituency and refusing to answer questions about Mr Canavan who had "abandoned" his voters.
"Labour's arrogant disregard of the people of Falkirk by calling this election just four days before Christmas is a damning indication of their wish to avoid the bad publicity that will hit them when the votes are in and counted."
Mr Brown championed the Government's help for the aged when he joined the campaign to support Eric Joyce, the Labour candidate. The chancellor visited a pensioner couple, Jean McKay and her husband, Jim, aged 70, in their sixth floor flat in Falkirk.
Of Mr Canavan he said only: "We are talking about a by-election we are fighting to get a representative to Westminster. Mr Canavan has resigned his seat, and the question now is who is going to represent this seat at Westminster. We need stability in the representation, and a Labour candidate stands for a better deal for pensioners, tackling the problems of unemployment, and stability in the economy."
Mr Brown reeled off a series of packages aimed at relieving pensioner poverty, and defended his measures to cushion motorists from high fuel costs. Mrs MacKay said later: "He was very nice and chatty. He was really very friendly. I think he was quite loath to go away. He was chatting about his mother who has had a knee operation and is more mobile now."
Brian Wilson, Scotland Office minister, welcomed yesterday's System Three poll for The Herald showing Labour with a 24-point lead over the SNP (48% to 24%). "These are very encouraging figures which reflect the mood of Scotland and a general approval for what the Government is doing," he said.
The poll also showed Labour with 41% in first vote intentions for the Scottish parliament, nine points ahead of the Nationalists who were down three points to 32%.
In second vote intentions Labour jumped five points to 35%, clear of the SNP by five points. The SNP responded that it was still the only party attracting record ratings over its results in Holyrood and Westminster elections. "That provides us with a solid base of support to fight a winning campaign in the Falkirk West by election."
Nationalists launched another attack on fuel costs, but it was overshadowed by the row over party contributions and Labour's action in blocking Sir Sean Connery from donating to the SNP while parties in Northern Ireland remained free to receive foreign aid.
Alex Salmond, former SNP leader, said it was ludicrous that the most famous Scot in the world was forbidden to help the "impeccably peaceful" SNP while supporters of terrorists could fund parties in Northern Ireland. He suggested a legal challenge was being considered.
* Labour has re-opened a 10-point lead over the Tories, according to a poll last night. An ICM telephone survey of 1003 adults conducted over the weekend for the Guardian puts Labour on 44%, four points up on last month, ahead of the Tories who were unchanged on 34%. The Liberal Democrats slid from 20% to 16%.
- Dec 5
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