by OUR POLITICAL STAFF
In its never-ending political campaign to secure a maximum number of Scottish seats for the Tory Party, and to keep the SNP on the naughty step, the Daily Mail will always go to extraordinary lengths to brainwash (sorry, persuade) its readers to cast their votes for those displaying blue rosettes.
But as we try to keep one eye on the General Election activity in the Borders - precious little, so far - and the other on wider press and media coverage, it was interesting to see the local and national campaigns merge together in the Scottish Daily Mail's "essential election guide", published in two parts earlier this week.
Political editor Michael Blackley provided helpful (?) constituency profiles of "seats vital to seeing off the Nationalists", including analysis of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk where John Lamont (Con) is defending a 5,148 majority in what is seen as a straight fight with David Wilson (SNP).
Mr Lamont warns potential voters in his leaflets, and on social media, that it is going to be a mighty close run thing. But he claims to be the only pro-Union contender who can beat the Nationalists as Labour and the Liberal Democrats just don't cut it with the Borders electorate. The presence of a Reform candidate may or may not damage the Tories' chances here.
His campaign has attracted some adverse opinions on Facebook with critics wondering why he has concentrated mainly on devolved issues - potholes, health, and road improvements - while paying little heed to Westminster policies or his own party manifesto.
The Mail spotlight on Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk naturally devoted most of the available space to the topics highlighted by Mr Lamont under the heading 'Critical condition of healthcare is proving key campaign issue' without pointing out that members of the House of Commons should not meddle in health service matters affecting Scotland.
According to the Mail's insight: "NHS Borders has said it may soon close the 92 community hospital beds in Kelso, Duns, Hawick and Peebles, causing major concern locally".
Mr Lamont had apparently been 'pounding the streets' to gain thousands of signatures for a petition to stop closures before the election was called.
Six days before the Mail article appeared, NHS Borders announced that while a review was continuing “ongoing medical cover for Kelso and the Knoll (Duns) Community Hospitals has been secured to the end of March 2025.” However, this development did not merit a single sentence in the newspaper.
But when it came to the issue of roads, Mr Blackley apparently went off the rails, so to speak.
Readers were told: "The SNP's failure to upgrade the A75 and A77 roads has also rankled with people and the votes of motorists are key".
If these are concerns for Mr Lamont, then he must be hoping to represent a truly 'Super Constituency' for the A75 which links Gretna and Stranraer in the far south-west is up to 100 miles from the lands of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk as the crow flies, and 129 miles by car.
Meanwhile, the A77 (Glasgow-Stranraer route) lies some 59 miles in a straight line from Galashiels.
It seems the Mail's choice to represent the eastern Borders seat will have plenty on his plate should he emerge victorious from his joust with Mr Wilson on July 4th!
Perhaps Blackley misread a statement issued by the self-styled 'Champion for the Borders' in March when he alleged the SNP Government had failed to provide sufficient cash for trunk road improvements and pothole repairs (again).
Mr Lamont wrote: " I have recently been overwhelmed by the number of local people who are extremely concerned at the state of roads across the Scottish Borders. Potholes litter our streets and pavements. The A68 needs investment. The A7 needs to be upgraded. The A1 needs to be dualled. The dire state of our roads is putting public safety at risk."
No reference at all to the far distant A75 or A77.
Here is the full list of candidates for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk - none of them (as far as we know) - seeking improvements to the Gretna-Stranraer route:
*Ray Georgeson, Scottish Liberal Democrats
*Hamish Goldie-Scot, Scottish Family Party
*Carolyn Grant, Reform UK
*John Lamont, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
*Neil MacKinnon, Scottish Green Party
*Ellie Merton, Independent
*Caitlin Stott, Scottish Labour Party
*David James Wilson, Scottish National Party (SNP)
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