Scottish Liberal Democrats Elect New Leader
Tavish Scott Comfortably Defeats Rivals in Leadership Contest
Aug 27, 2008
Polling 1450 (fifty nine percent) of the first preference vote, he comfortably defeated his two rivals Mike Rumbles and Ross Finnie, who received eighteen and twenty three percent of the vote respectively.
Resignation of Nicol Stephen
The leadership contest was sparked by Nicol Stephen’s resignation as party leader in June and Mr Scott, MSP for Shetland, and who has previously served as transport minister in the Labour-Lib Dem coalition, emerged as the front runner early on in the contest. Both runners up have said he will enjoy their full support.
See his victory speech here.
New Leader Attacks Nationalists
Mr Scott launched straight into an attack on the Nationalists who currently head a ruling coalition at Holyrood; using his victory speech and an interview on BBC Radio Scotland to savage SNP’s policy on affordable housing in Scotland, claiming already strapped-for-cash local councils would be left to pick up the costs of a central government spending plan.
He also hit out at Alex Salmond, claiming that the First Minister, who has so far enjoyed an easy ride at Holyrood, would be exposed as “arrogant, misguided and politically dishonest”.
By-Election Challenges Facing the Lib Dems
The newly elected leader faces a tough task ahead. The Liberal Democrats are currently lagging in fourth place in Scottish politics according to the results of July’s by-election in Glasgow East, where the SNP overturned a Labour majority of 13,507 to take the seat.
One of the first tests of Mr Scott’s leadership will be another by-election, held in the constituency of Glenrothes in Fife which, interestingly, neighbours Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s own Kirkcaldy seat. Some are predicting that another safe seat loss to the SNP would spell disaster for Scottish Labour, and possibly cast further doubts over Gordon Brown’s future as PM.
Harry Wills, a businessman and long time Lib Dem member has been selected to contest the Glenrothes seat. The date for the election has, however, still to be fixed.
Someone to Challenge Alex Salmond?
Scottish politics is crying out for someone to mount a serious challenge to the Nationalist administration. Labour are dithering over selecting a new leader after Wendy Alexander’s resignation and still reeling from the Glasgow election defeat, while the Tories north of the Border seem unable to emulate the success of their southern colleagues.
The editorial of Wednesday’s Glasgow Herald summed up the situation perfectly:” Holyrood needs a gutsy, combative performer to take on Alex Salmond and hold his government to account. Mr Scott has the opportunity to show if he has the credentials"
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