Michael Shanks rubbishes low turnout General Election concerns after Rutherglen and Hamilton West win

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Newly-elected MP Michael Shanks has rubbished claims that the low turnout in the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election is cause for concern for Labour in the General Election.A 20.36 per cent shift from the SNP to Scottish Labour and a majority of 9446 votes gave Shanks the victory in the contest last week.However, the turnout was relatively low at 37.2 percent, falling from 66.5 percent at the last General Election, making it the second-lowest turnout in a by-election where the seat has changed hands, with only the 2003 contest in Brent East being lower.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Many political commentators have suggested that a higher turnout in the General Election could open the doors back up for the SNP.However, Shanks doesn’t believe the turnout had as big an impact and does not point to signs of cause for concern at the upcoming General Election.He said: “By-elections always have low turnouts, it’s not an unusual thing.“The Airdrie by-election was lower than this and it was on a sunny day in May.“Although we didn’t have that, it was clear that the sheer numbers who did turn out to vote were keen on backing what we were offering.” After Tory candidate Thomas Kerr, who lost his electoral deposit, claimed that tactical voting had "squeezed" him out, Scottish Conservative MSP Miles