Scottish Labour blames Winter Fuel Payment cut for double by-election loss in Dundee

A senior insider pointed the finger at Downing Street for hostility on the doorsteps.

Scottish Labour are blaming the winter fuel payment cut and the Downing Street freebies scandal for two damaging council by-election losses in Dundee.

The SNP held on to majority control of Dundee Council after pulling off a double triumph in the Lochee and Strathmartine wards.

Labour had poured resources into the city, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar hoping to win both contests.

But Jimmy Black and Lee Mills won for the Nationalists.

A senior Scottish Labour source said the result was “dreadful” for Dundee: “The SNP locally will see it as a free pass on their appalling record and it makes changing NHS and education performance much harder in the short term. The SNP vote fell but the significantly improved performance of the last two years for Labour did not turn out."

The insider pinned the blame on the Labour Government: “The winter fuel payment policy and the freebies stories were talked about constantly by voters on polling day. These were the biggest factors in folk not coming out.”

Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves caused anger when she announced the £300 WFP for older people will be means-tested.

Around 900,000 pensioners in Scotland will lose out and multiple Labour figures say the decision is getting raised on the doors.

Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have also attracted flak for accepting free clothes from donors at the same time as voters are being asked to make sacrifices.

Scottish politics

• Shipbuilder goes into administration
• Games 'likely' to return to Glasgow
• Scottish Labour 'losing members'
• SNP told to 'take responsibility'

The Ballot Box Scotland website, which provides expert analysis on elections, said of the Lochee result:

“Pretty surprised by this one I have to say. This should have been Labour's to win based on 2022 results and shifts since. SNP started the day at risk of losing their Dundee majority, and have ended up growing it instead.”

SNP MP Chris Law tweeted: “Oh my goodness a double win for @thesnp with a fantastic new councillor Lee Mills of Lochee and an increase in size of @DundeeSNP council majority. Thank you Dundee.”

To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.