Beauly Firth: The SNPs march on the Lib Dems
Beauly Firth
The SNP surge in Scotland is being felt on both sides of the Beauly Firth that separates Inverness from Ross and Cromarty. It also sits on the boundary of Charles Kennedy and Danny Alexander’s constituencies.
Nick Clegg’s party face near extinction here. If polls are right their 11 MPs will be whittled to one after the election. Channel 4 News is here because Lib Dem safe seats like these are no longer safe. These political heavyweights face a fight for survival against an SNP.
These locals explain why.
Yes there are those like Jim Prentice. He’s had much success racing his 1973 Contessa 32 up the firth. He says he’s “disgusted with himself” for deciding last year to give up on a life time of voting Labour. The Labour party’s roots run through his family tree. His great grandfather was a friend of its founder Keir Hardie.
But there’s another story. From her shop overlooking the Firth Susan Phillips can watch dolphins fishing all summer long. She’s says she’s “swithering,” a Scots word for “undecided”. In 2010 she voted for Danny Alexander but this time she’s tempted by Nicola Sturgeon’s offering – except, that is, the “independence stuff”.
On the campaign trail the SNP candidate meets a retired voter who whispers to me that he voted for Danny Alexander last time, and sums up the sentiment you hear a lot around the parts. “He’s done a good job for this area but maybe he’s got too much on his plate?”
On Monday Jon Snow will be here talking to the people about the political revolution that extends from Ayreshire to Inverness. Tune in.