I live in what should be one of the most hotly contested marginal seats in Scotland, Livingston. The incumbent, Jim Devine, is one of the 3 former MPs who have been charged with expenses fraud and whose ongoing court proceedings provide a sombre backdrop to the election campaign. Devine was deselected by Labour last year, leaving Livingston pretty much hung out to dry, without a functioning MP to help people with their problems. On the occasions I raised issues with him, I received responses from his staff which were about as far removed from the point as it was possible to get.
Anyway, Livingston Labour selected former Council leader and still sitting Councillor Graeme Morrice in February. You would think that they would have realised that they had a lot of making up to do to the people of Livingston given recent events and given the fact that they no longer represent the seat in the Scottish Parliament.
In fact, I haven't had a cheep from them and neither has anyone else I know. Not a leaflet, not a phone call, nothing. When some Liberal Democrat teams are well into their second leaflet of the campaign, let alone what went before the election, Labour just don't seem to be bothered.
There can only be two explanations for this:
1 They know that they're going to lose the seat so they just aren't bothering.
2 They are so arrogant that they think they'll get in without trying.
I wonder which it is.
Oh, and by the way, the SNP haven't done that much either. We've had one leaflet from them, delivered by our very nice local Councillor, but they did the same leaflet addressed to Bob and I which seems a bit daft.
Anna, by the way, on reading the accompanying letter, came running through last night saying "Mummy, I've found something sensible in an SNP leaflet." She meant the line "If you are inclined to vote Labour, then I would urge you to think again."
2 comments:
Not much sign of a Labour campaign in Inverness either, in a seat they held until 2005. I suspect they don't have very many activists left.
Dear dear Caron, your comments betray just how weak the LibDems are in Livingston.
We know exactly what Labour has been up to - it is not much but it is not nothing - because our members have received their appalling literature in several parts of the constituency.
I'm afraid you guys are even less visble than Labour, who are themselves less visible than the SSP.
The SSP material is good in content but not the best in presentation.
Labour clearly have no idea what they are doing and have no strategy other than to scare everyone away from the SNP on the basis that it has 'broken promises'.
That must sound quite convincing coming from the party who told us 'No more Boom and Bust.' ;-)
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