 | 'Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University said the SNP would campaign on Labour's "record of incompetence". He said the SNP's key issue of more devolution would play a much greater role in Glenrothes, with its more middle-class voter base, than in the deprived constituency of Glasgow East. "The SNP will argue that they have provided more competent government and that they serve the Scottish people better than UK Labour," Curtice said.' Regeneration & Renewal, 22 nd August 2008. |  |
Further devolution to Holyrood is likely to form a key argument in the Scottish National Party's campaign to defeat Labour in the forthcoming Glenrothes by-election.
Following the death of Labour MP John MacDougall last week, the SNP is hoping to defeat Labour in the Fife constituency of Glenrothes. Labour holds a 10,664 majority in Glenrothes, which borders Gordon Brown's own seat, and the SNP would require a 14.5 per cent swing to take the seat.
But following last month's SNP victory in Glasgow East, Labour's third safest seat in Scotland, pundits are predicting another SNP victory. The party already leads Fife Council and holds the Holyrood parliamentary seat, which is almost contiguous with Glenrothes.
Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University said the SNP would campaign on Labour's "record of incompetence". He said the SNP's key issue of more devolution would play a much greater role in Glenrothes, with its more middle-class voter base, than in the deprived constituency of Glasgow East. "The SNP will argue that they have provided more competent government and that they serve the Scottish people better than UK Labour," Curtice said.
Last week in a YouGov poll, commissioned by the SNP, the nationalists opened up a 19 point lead over Scottish Labour.
The poll is available via here.
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