Taking a leaf from The Donald’s playbook

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at Greensboro Coliseum (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Next month the keenly contested election will be over, and the victor declared. No, not the battle for the White House on November 5, but of course the Colinton/Fairmilehead council by-election nine days later.

And the word from Mar-a-Lago is that despite complaining about Labour involvement in the Kamala Harris campaign, Donald Trump is ready to throw in the towel because Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and his local sidekick, councillor Kevin Lang, have also joined the fray in the US of A.

“It’s just too much. Old King Cole and The Kevin have got me beat… So sad….”

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But from a letter distributed to by-election voters back home, it seems Kevin has taken a leaf from The Donald’s playbook, making a claim which has only a passing acquaintance with reality.

“In the most recent council election here in Colinton/Fairmilehead, the SNP candidate won. Liberal Democrat Louise Spence was just 2 per cent behind!” he wrote.

Presumably the exclamation mark is supposed to denote surprise, and indeed it is surprising when it’s remembered that Ms Spence actually finished fourth and was drubbed by Labour’s Scott Arthur – whose election as an MP has caused the by-election – and long-standing Conservative councillor Jason Rust.

And on first preference votes, which is all that matters in a single-seat by-election, Ms Spence was five per cent adrift of the SNP’s Marco Biagi, 8 per cent behind Cllr Rust, and 20 per cent behind Scott Arthur.

So sad indeed, that once again the cuddly Lib Dems are so troubled by selective memories.

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