SNP make progress towards winning in 2007

Speaking following the election results in Livingston and Cathcart, SNP Leader Alex Salmond MP welcomed the results, and pointed to the fact that the SNP are the only party to have made real progress over the night in both constituencies.

Mr Salmond said:

“These are highly satisfactory results for the SNP.

“Tonight in Livingston we saw a huge swing to us from Labour and in Cathcart the Labour majority was halved. In Livingston the SNP vote rose by 11 per cent and in Cathcart by 6 per cent.

“If replicated across the country the Livingston swing would deliver the SNP 28 additional seats in the Scottish Parliament elections in 2007, and on the swing in Cathcart we would win 9 extra.

SNP Leader, Alex Salmond MP, and candidate Maire Whitehead, will today visit the closure threatened Castlemilk youth complex and will be holding a public meeting in Castlemilk this evening. Mr Salmond and Ms Whitehead will be focusing on crime and health as the campaign comes to a head before voting tomorrow.

Commenting on the visit of Communities minister Malcolm Chisholm to the Castlemilk youth complex yesterday, Mr Salmond said:

"It is amazing what a by-election can do to concentrate Labour minds. They have been forced into action after seeing press reports on the threat to the complex and reading about Maire Whitehead's visit last week.

"The Castlemilk youth complex is just the sort of facility we need. I am delighted the pressure is now on the Executive to save the centre.