Labour Support Slumps

12.06.27am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 13th Apr 2005

Last month Liberal Democrats secured a sensational victory in a council by-election in the Labour heartland of Mid-Lothian. The Dalkeith Woodburn result saw a swing of 24% from Labour to the Lib Dems. This followed a poll in the Sunday Mail only days before which showed Labour's support in Scotland has slumped from 48% to 38%. In the same poll Lib Dem support soared from 11% to 23% placing them as the second party in Scotland. Mike Crockart, Parliamentary spokesperson for Edinburgh North & Leith commented,

"Both these events show that traditional Labour voters feel increasingly let down by Tony Blair and are turning, in increasing numbers, to the Liberal Democrats, the only real alternative to Labour."

In another blow to local Labour hopes, the website www.strategicvoter.org.uk has predicted that Labour's lead in Edinburgh North & Leith has already been more than halved to little more than 3000 votes with the Liberal Democrats poised to close the gap even further.