In Scotland, support grows for Labour as SNP’s dominance looks set to fade
Al Jazeera
Although independence remains a popular idea, Labour is viewed by many as the strongest party to unseat the Conservatives in the July 4 election.
Glasgow, United Kingdom – When the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) defeated its Labour rivals by a single seat in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, it brought about more than just a change in government.
Previous votes had cemented Scotland’s status as a Labour Party stronghold, and that trend continued when a devolved government was established in Edinburgh in 1999; the first two Scottish Parliament elections saw the return of two successive Labour-led governments.
But when the SNP secured 47 lawmakers to Labour’s 46 in the Scottish Parliament’s third poll, the party of choice for Scotland’s working and middle classes was wounded, overpowered by fervour for Scottish independence.
The SNP has dominated in Edinburgh for 17 years. The party has the largest number of Scottish MPs to Westminster since 2015.
But Labour appears on track to make significant gains or even retake its former Scottish heartland in next month’s UK general election, as many voters are determined to oust the ruling right-wing Conservatives from power at Westminster.
