The Holyrood election is drawing closer and undoubtedly the pandemic will have an influence on proceedings. Postal voting, for example, may go through the roof compared to previous years. How will turnout be affected? When will the results be known? It's a frosty morning today but spring is on the way all the same and we'll all be out and about a bit more perhaps and time flies, even in lockdowns, so all will eventually be revealed.
It is interesting to look to the Highland Council byelection on Thursday though. The results were published yesterday although the transfers of preferences will not be available until Monday.
#Ward12byelection - The result has been declared and David Fraser (Independent) has been elected to represent the Aird and Loch Ness Ward on @HighlandCouncil pic.twitter.com/s2fA0Zfofe
— The Highland Council (@HighlandCouncil) March 12, 2021
The first preferences have been published as you can see in the above embedded Highland Council tweet.
A strong showing from an obviously popular and, eventually winning, Independent candidate obscures things slightly - who can tell where David Fraser's votes might have gone if he had not been standing? The SNP will no doubt be happy to have come just behind him with three votes less at 994, The Tories less so perhaps with 824 but that is a good showing all the same. Then, there's still a few hardcore LibDems about with a showing of 300 - looks like the glory days are well gone for them now though.
Perhaps the story of the day however is at the bottom of the pile rather than the top. The Greens got over twice as many votes as Labour, 272 compared to 133. The Greens will take considerable comfort from that going into the Holyrood election as it puts them close to 8% and representation on the list although the Independent candidate in May, former Green MSP Andy Wightman, might have an influence on how they perform. Labour will find no pleasure at all though out of their performance. Could they be on the verge of losing one or both of their Highlands and Islands list seats in May?
So there's our non-scientific analysis readers. We're sure however that all the party strategists will be having a keen look at those figures in the cold light of a this Saturday morning.
For more information on how to vote in May and postal application deadlines etc, then head for this Highland Council page.
4 comments:
I think everyone wants to vote for a "better" future for themselves, their families and their communities.
However, about two thirds of people across Scotland want the future to be a "fairer" future. They want their country to be "fairer" for all its citizens - young and old.
My parents were Liberals, I used to be Labour.
The sad reality is that Scotland only gets the government at Westminster that England wants. That means that if we really want a fairer future for our kids and our grandkids - for all young people and young families, we need to grasp the thistle and vote for the SNP or the Greens.
That's the only way that Scotland will get the kind of government and the kind of policies it actually wants and needs.
824 neo-feudalist Tories on Loch Ness side! Who are these people?
Anon @ 1:02pm. "The sad reality is that Scotland only gets the government at Westminster that England wants. "
So what is to stop the SNP fielding candidates in all Westminster seats, if they have a message that the UK voters like then they may well get to determine that Scotland gets the government at Westminster that Scotland wants.
5.07
Aye that would work ............
Any other countries that you can think of who have utilised that clever plan?
Err ... No, I can't think of any either.
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