Did angry Scottish bowlers cost Jo Swinson her seat in the General Election?

Bearsden indoor bowlers and their supporters vented their anger at the general election over their eviction by the Lib Dem/Tory controlled East Dunbartonshire Council.

Members of the 300-plus Allander Indoor Bowling Club turned their backs on Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson at the ballot box. In a nail-biting finish, the SNP toppled Ms Swinson by just 149 votes.

Honorary President John Harvey said: “As predicted Jo Swinson loses her seat, as a consequence of decisions taken by the local Lib Dem councillors”.

He added: “Roll on the local elections”.

Club secretary Sandy Torrie said: “As a club we did as much as we could to try to reverse the decision of the East Dunbarton Council”.

This included a petition to the council signed by more than 2,300 supporters.

In September, the Lib Dem/Tory administration voted against including the indoor bowling hall in the replacement £33 million Allander Leisure Centre, despite an original pledge that it would remain.

This has left bowlers with nowhere to go. They accused the council of “stringing them along” with a promise of “like for like” facilities. The club’s 300-plus members and their supporters were furious when office bearers relayed “the responsibility of Lib Dem councillors” in voting against the indoor hall.

A club official said this local decision played a part in Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson’s defeat. She lost by just 149 votes.

In response, Joint Council leader Vaughan Moody (Lib Dem Bearsden South) said: “I am happy along with my fellow councillors in the Lib Dem/Conservative Administration to bring forward the building of a new Allander which will replace the present one in two years.

“The bowling club membership has dropped from over 700 in 2005 to 300 now. The new Allander should last at least 50 years. Your readers can draw their own conclusion as to why the bowling club hall was not included in the new building.”