The Scottish Conservatives have triumphed in the East Lothian council by-election following yet another Labour collapse. Candidate Craig Hoy won the Haddington and Lammermuir poll in East Lothian with 35 per cent of the vote, an increase of six per cent.
That was enough to beat the SNP into second, with Labour slumping by more than 12 per cent down to just 22 per cent of the vote.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said it was more evidence of voters deserting the Labour party in Scotland, and proof only her party are capable of standing up to the SNP.
The result follows reports earlier this week that one of Labour’s highest-profile donors, Alan Massie, has stopped supporting the party, and is now backing the Scottish Conservatives instead.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:
“This is a fantastic result for the Scottish Conservatives and I know Craig Hoy will be a superb, hard-working local councillor for Haddington and surrounding villages.
“With the Scottish Conservatives topping the poll, it provides further evidence that voters are deserting the Labour party in their droves.
“Even in areas where they were once strong, people now view Labour as too weak to take on the SNP.
“It is only the Scottish Conservatives which offer a positive message to take Scotland forward and bring the country back together.”
Winning candidate and Scottish Conservative Haddington and Lammermuir councillor Craig Hoy said:
“This result shows that the clear dividing line in Scottish politics is between us and the SNP.
“By focusing on local issues and warning of the dangers of a second independence referendum we’ve secured a clear victory over Labour and the SNP in Haddington and the Lammermuirs.
“It’s increasingly clear that only the Scottish Conservatives stand up for local people here in East Lothian and across Scotland as whole.”
