THE Scottish Liberal Democrats have been accused of using “dirty tricks” to misinform voters following the party’s shock win at an Edinburgh by-election.
Louise Spence of the Lib Dems was elected to serve as councillor for the city's Colinton and Fairmilehead ward on Friday despite finishing in fourth place when she stood in the same ward's 2022 council elections.
Her win means the Lib Dems now have 14 councillors and are the second biggest party at the City Chambers, after the SNP who have 18.
Labour, which is currently in charge as a minority administration, has 11 seats, the Greens 10 and Tories nine with one independent.
In the run-up to the by-election. the Lib Dems were accused of “deceptive” campaigning as they distributed leaflets to voters stating the party “are challenging the SNP” alongside a bar chart showing the party in second place to the SNP.
However, opponents claimed the leaflets were designed to mislead voters about the result in the ward in 2022, presenting the Lib Dems as contenders to win the seat when they came fourth behind Labour, Conservatives, and the SNP with just over 12% of first preference votes.
After the by-election result announcement on Friday, Councillor Simita Kumar claimed that “honesty and integrity” didn't win the Lib Dems the seat.
In a post on social media, the SNP Councillor for Southside and Newington claimed the Lib Dems used “misinformation tactics” to win the by-election and called on Labour to “step aside” from running the local authority.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Liberal Democrats resort to dirty tricks to misinform voters,” Kumar (below) told The National.
“They used similar tactics during the general election, and now in this by-election. It seems honesty and integrity don’t win them seats.
“The Liberal Democrats are effectively in coalition with Labour and the Tories, with paid Conveners to show for it. Suggesting otherwise insults the residents of Edinburgh.
“For now, my focus is on Cllr Day and the Labour Party, they are clinging to power with just 11 out of 63 councillors. Edinburgh deserves strong leadership. Cllr Day must resign.”
The by-election was triggered after Scott Arthur resigned from the local authority after being elected as a Scottish Labour MP for Edinburgh South West.
Scottish Labour's Sheila Gilmore ran to replace him and ultimately came in a shock third place, thirteen votes behind Scottish Tory candidate Neil Cuthbert.
The SNP’s candidate Mairianna Clyde came fourth.
Speaking after the result, Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “I’d like to thank everyone who helped on this campaign and congratulate Louise Spence on her victory. Louise will be a local champion for Colinton & Fairmilehead.
“This win is a huge statement of ambition from the Scottish Liberal Democrats. We spent this campaign talking about the things that matter most to people from local healthcare to the state of our city and voters have responded in droves.”
Speaking after her win Councillor Spence said: “I am delighted to have been elected as the new councillor for Colinton & Fairmilehead.
“I’d like to thank all of the activists who came out to help my campaign and all the voters who put their trust in me.”
Scottish Labour have been approached for comment.
