A Son of the Rock

So, after foregrounding local matters over which as a Westminster MP he will have no influence and riding the coat-tails of a financial crisis which has paradoxically redounded to the Government’s benefit, Lindsay Roy saved Labour’s bacon.

Did anyone else think he might have been less than happy at his win?

His winner’s speech was flat and uninspiring. He looked and sounded like a rabbit caught in headlights. Surely, as a headmaster, at School Concert nights etc, he is used to speaking in front of an assembled adult audience?

And will Kirkcaldy High School now go back down the pan he was parachuted in to rescue it from? There were whispers to that effect even before Thursday’s result.

Still, a grateful government will no doubt reward him in a future honours list.

One curiosity. Immediately after the result a BBC graphic stated there had been a swing from Labour to SNP of 8.16%. Labour’s % of the vote went up. So how could there have been a swing to SNP from Labour? Surely any swing was to the SNP from other parties? (Both Tory and Lib Dem votes were hugely down on the last General Election.)

I realise this last cannot be how they calculate swing but the swing figure quoted surely shows the concept of swing is more than a bit misleading.