Wasted votes

The claim by Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw on the Dunfermline by-election, in which his party came fourth, that his party’s supporters could have voted Labour to keep the SNP out must have been bad news for Tory candidate James Reekie.

The situation replicates that in the election in Inverclyde in June 2011, when Conservative candidate David Wilson stood, and Tory MP David Mundell expressed a similar sentiment to that of Mr Carlaw.

If Mr Reekie was informed in advance of the prospect, he must have wondered why he was wasting his time. And it does not augur well for potential Tory candidates in the future.

Furthermore, party canvassers had better be ready to explain to voters where Conservative supporters should put their crosses on the ballot papers.

I can visualise Conservative election pamphlets bearing the message: “Vote Labour – Johann Lamont for First Minister”!

By the way, can we expect to see Labour supporters similarly strategically voting Conservative, again, to thwart the SNP. Sticking together to save the Union?

Douglas R Mayer

Currie

The statement by Scottish Labour’s Cara Hilton that “the people of Dunfermline have put their trust in Scottish Labour” is far from the truth.

It seems 57.25 per cent of the people of Dunfermline were so concerned about who represents them at Holyrood that they could not be bothered to vote, and of those who had previously voted SNP, most of them still did, correctly realising that wife-beating was the vice of the previous SNP incumbent, and did not reflect SNP policy. What nonsense politicians talk.

Malcolm Parkin

Kinnesswood, Kinross