Findlay issues apology for Tory failures after Hamilton by-election vote blow

Russell Findlay has apologised directly to voters for Conservative failures in office after his party came a distant fourth in the Hamilton by-election.
The Scottish Tory leader refused to 'peddle the usual excuses' after the 'disappointing result' in the three-way marginal.
'I will be straight - this by-election delivered a harsh verdict on my party's previous period in government,' he said.
'Voters still feel badly let down by the previous UK Conservative government.'
The Conservatives came third in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse at the 2021 Holyrood election with a 17.5 per cent share of the vote.
But on Thursday it plunged to six per cent, just above the threshold needed to save its deposit.
At the same time, Reform went from a standing start to 26.1 per cent, coming just 869 votes behind the SNP and 1,471 behind Labour.
Tory insiders claimed some of their support backed Labour in a 'tactical Unionist vote' to help defeat the SNP.
But with polls showing up to a quarter of Tory voters at the general election now backing Reform, many local Tories undoubtedly backed Reform's Ross Lambie.
Writing in today's Mail, Mr Findlay said Tory candidate Richard Nelson was 'respected and hard-working' but many local people 'didn't feel we deserved their vote because over 14 years in power, we lost our way'.
The West Scotland MSP said: 'I want to say directly to everyone who feels that way that I am listening, I get it and I understand how you feel.
'My party let you down in government and we accept responsibility for our mistakes.'
On a more positive note, Mr Findlay said the by-election had also exposed how 'vulnerable and beatable' the SNP was under John Swinney.
'The era of damaging and divisive Nationalist rule can be brought to an end in 2026 and our party will play a pivotal part in doing so,' he promised.
'There are vast areas of Scotland where only we can beat the SNP.
'If we work hard, demonstrate to people that we've changed and show that we're ready to represent their interests, we can send John Swinney packing. What a prize that would be.'
Kemi Badenoch insisted the Conservatives were still the main opposition to Labour despite her party sinking to fourth place in Hamilton.
Reform also gained 677 seats in last month's English local elections as the Tories lost 674.
Keir Starmer has said he now regard Nigel Farage's party as his main rivals at Westminster, despite it having only five MPs, because of its strong position in the polls.
But Ms Badenoch dismissed Reform as a 'protest party' and called the claim that it was the real opposition 'nonsense'.
Describing Reform as 'another left-wing party', she said: 'What they're trying to do is talk this situation into existence. Labour is going to be facing the Conservative Party at the next election and we're going to get them out.'
Recent polls have put Reform well ahead of Labour on Westminster voting intention, with the Conservatives third and the Lib Dems close behind them.
However the next general election is still four years away and Reform has yet to prove its credentials in power since it won control of a dozen English councils in May.
The party has also been blighted by infighting, including the dramatic resignation of chair Zia Yusuf on Thursday after a public spat with Runcorn MP Sarah Pochin about burkas.
Polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice said support for the Tories had never 'fallen so heavily' in a Holyrood by-election.
He told the Telegraph: 'The Conservatives are at risk of recording their worst-ever performance in a Scottish Parliament election next year and could find themselves occupying a much diminished space in the Holyrood chamber as only the fourth-largest party.'

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The Independent

an hour ago

• The Independent

Readers have their say on reversing Brexit – from rejoining EU ‘tomorrow' to ‘letting more time pass'

Nearly nine years on from Brexit, a deep sense of regret and frustration lingers across the UK. What was once hailed by some as a reclaiming of sovereignty has instead left many feeling isolated, economically weakened, and disconnected from the continent they once called home. A recent YouGov poll revealed that more than half of Britons now want to rejoin the EU, and Independent readers have echoed this sense of disappointment and frustration. Despite the appetite, there was a strong feeling that rejoining would be complicated and is unlikely anytime soon, given political resistance and the demanding terms the EU would likely require. Yet many remained hopeful that growing public support might shift the debate in the future. Here's what you had to say: Farage: the problem, not the solution Nigel Farage – the man who attempted to ostracise Britain from the EU, who pledged Brexit would dramatically bring down immigration, give us our sovereignty back, and who now squeals to the British public that he can somehow, somewhere, magic up a harsher version that will somehow fix all of Great Britain's problems. No Farage, you are the problem. As your new 'Chair' of Reform creates yet another divisive policy of bringing back the return of the death penalty – and as Sky News today has reported that the UK's largest trade union saw its membership jump by 200 per cent in the 10 local authorities won by Reform recently – he is now attempting to sack anyone working on DEI or climate change, despite the very fact that the councils don't even have staff who work exclusively on either of these policies. Can't he, for once, attempt to fix the problems that the UK already has, as opposed to creating new ones? Amy Regardless of whether leaving the EU was a good or bad idea, the outcome teaches us an important lesson about the way our democracy works. Brexit failed for lots of reasons, but in part at least, it failed because the government of the day didn't support it. As a consequence, they had no plan for it. This is why referendums, far from being examples of direct democracy, are terrible ideas – and in this case, a rank abdication of responsibility, and a classic example of a Tory putting his party before the interests of the country. If you want something to change, vote for a party that is promising it. It's to be hoped that they will at least have thought it out. RickC The UK has been teetering on the edge of economic disaster Leaving the EU was a terrible blunder. The biased information received by the UK public was all in favour of 'Remain'. David Cameron went so far as to openly proclaim his allegiance to Remain and sought to persuade the UK electorate likewise. Unfortunately, the UK electorate had, at that time, seen little benefit from their EU membership and voted accordingly to leave. Cameron then did the right thing – to fall on his own sword! Unbelievably, Sunak brought him back into government as an entirely inappropriate foreign minister and even made him a member of the House of Bores. The UK has been teetering on the edge of economic disaster, while still strutting itself on the international stage as a global player. If only politicians would learn to serve the people of this country well! This is – after all – what they are elected to do. SPCK The UK is reliant on a foreign workforce It has been a failure because none of the issues that triggered Brexit were properly addressed, but actually made worse, especially immigration, the number one reason Brexit succeeded. And what happened to immigration post-Brexit? Nothing, apart from Europeans being replaced by predominantly Indians and Nigerians, an important difference being that the latter are bringing in many more dependents than Europeans used to. I have been working jobs where the percentage of immigrants is quite high. Before Brexit, about 90% of coworkers from the EU came to the UK as single or at least without kids, while quite the opposite — 80% of coworkers from India, Nigeria or other African countries came in married with kids. Those who voted for Brexit were just too blind to realise or accept that the UK heavily relies on a foreign workforce, and if you did not want it from the EU, you will have to accept it from Asia and Africa. WokiePokie What does rejoining the EU actually mean? The trouble with this survey and many others is that they fail to qualify what rejoining the EU means. Most assume it means going back in with our concessions. If asked if they support joining the Euro and Schengen (which all new members have to agree to), the majority support amongst the UK electorate disappears. Ian Robinson "It found that 56 per cent want the UK to return to being part of the EU." But it didn't specify on what terms, so respondents probably imagined the same terms we had when we left. That, of course, will never be on offer – and joining the Euro and Schengen and fully committing to the full European project would be a non-negotiable prerequisite. They would also need to see a consensus among both the public and political classes, and that would mean another referendum with a super-majority in favour of rejoining – and 56 per cent wouldn't cut it. Then, the UK would have to be able to meet the Copenhagen Criteria and its economic limits in terms of debt and deficit, and we are nowhere near that. Happily, rejoining is a pipe dream. There is no prospect in sight for the UK rejoining. Dogglebird The people were lied to – we deserve another vote Brexit was a failure. We were all lied to by Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage as well as the other Tories. Look at the damage it has caused and how many people have lost their jobs. The UK has been in a mess ever since. The UK public should be allowed another vote to rejoin the EU or stay as we are. After all, the government gets to vote on everything, but we are not allowed to. Markcarlisle Lazy leadership Brexit was based on lies and misled the public. Farage, Johnson, Gove and co stoked up the campaign and drove through a disastrous hard Brexit deal. But the man at whose door this lies is Cameron. He called the referendum to deal with Tory divisions, lost it because he was too lazy and sloppy to organise it properly (a binding referendum usually requires a two-thirds majority), and then walked away from the resulting mess. It's encouraging that public opinion is slowly shifting towards rejoining, but 56 per cent isn't a large enough percentage to encourage the current government to act, and polls have been stuck at that for quite some time. There will only be enough political momentum to justify rejoining the EU or the EEA when polling in favour of this is consistently over 60 per cent, and there's little sign of that yet. Tanaquil2 Weakening Europe was senseless At Brexit time (after the vote), I posted that it was silly to reject the economic value of being in the EU, but absolutely senseless to weaken Europe in the face of Putin and Jinping, given the US had voted for Trump. I didn't expect Trump to come back, but it was clear there was something seriously wrong over there. 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Unfortunately, we have a situation in which the hard right still has substantial power and do not accept that we are in a worse position. It is somehow a failure of everyone else that Brexit is a failure. No party will have the courage to rejoin, especially as we are unlikely to rejoin on such favourable terms. The EU reset is a good start, but can we quickly progress towards a single market and customs union model? The country has been lied to, but too many people still believe the lies of Farage and co. If there were a referendum, I would vote to rejoin tomorrow. I have always been a Eurosceptic, but I have also always recognised the enormous benefits we got from the EU. If you belong to any club, some rules you will like and others you won't. Speculator The UK is now a sea of charity shops and budget stores I have lived and worked outside the UK since I was 26 and moved to Dubai, from there to Switzerland, briefly back to the UK, then Cyprus, and now France since 2009. Both my children were born abroad and benefited from living in different countries. I watched Brexit evolve with horror, but was powerless as I lost my vote after 15 years outside. I think if anyone has any questions about whether the UK should rejoin, they should take a trip through Europe — not the Costas, but the real Europe. Maybe a high-speed train from Milan to Bari, or a drive through France, Germany, Austria, and check out the well-maintained roads and facilities. Frankly, we find the UK now just a sea of charity shops, budget stores, scruffy towns and horrible transport options. Hoping it changes for the sake of the youth. Chris Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.

Daily Mail​

7 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Train ticket website sues Transport Secretary after making claims about 'secret' £32million agreement involving state-owned firm

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Times

9 hours ago

• Times

Alison Johnstone to stand down as Holyrood presiding officer

Alison Johnstone will quit politics next year when she stands down as Scotland's sixth presiding officer at the Holyrood elections​. The departure of the 59-year-old, who sparked controversy in recent weeks after a series of rows with Douglas Ross, the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, will raise hopes among her critics that her successor will drive more radical reforms of Holyrood. While Johnstone's tenure has been seen as steady, many at Holyrood believe the parliament would benefit from Westminster-style reforms which would weaken the control of party leaders and whips over committee memberships and encourage independence among backbenchers. The King listens as Johnstone speaks during the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Scottish parliament in 2024 EFF J MITCHELL/GETTY IMAGES Meanwhile, there has been concern about the quality of debates, with some MSPs in the habit of reading out pre-written speeches rather than engaging in genuine dialogue with opponents. Speaking to The Times, Johnstone said: ' I was elected in 2011 and it was always my intention that this would be my last term in Holyrood. 'I came from a wholly non-political background and got involved in a campaign to save a school playing field​.' She said, 'I was not in a political party but campaigned for the creation of a Scottish parliament​ and I then worked as an assistant for Robin Harper, the first-ever Green parliamentarian in the UK elected to the first-ever Scottish parliament.​' Johnstone is the second female and the first Green party member to hold the presiding officer position, which comes with a £126,452 salary. Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, left; Johnstone and Lord Offord of Garvel during a Remembrance Sunday service and parade in Edinburgh in 2022 JANE BARLOW/PA She took over the reins of Holyrood at a challenging time during the Covid pandemic, a period without precedent, and even her opponents said she did a good job steering its proceedings through uncharted waters. More recently she was involved in a series of rows with Ross who accused her of failing to 'act in a neutral manner ' after she suspended him from the Holyrood chamber. Johnstone was elected as a Green MSP in 2011, and before that was as an Edinburgh Green councillor for Morningside in 2007. ​S​he is a qualified athletics coach and former board member of Scottish Athletics​, previously​ holding the East of Scotland​ records in the 800 metre and 1,500-metre events. A quarter of the present crop of 129 MSPs have announced their departures including a handful of MSPs who have been in Holyrood since its creation in 1999. This week Sarah Boyack, the veteran MSP, announced she was leaving next year, leaving Jackie Baillie as the only Labour MSP with ministerial experience on Holyrood's benches. Baillie is also the only Labour MSP who was elected in 1999 who has been in the Scottish parliament continuously since the outset and will stand again next year.