Morning Report – July 1st

Despite rumours of a razor thin majority – or even an SNP win – Labour managed to hold onto Inverclyde in yesterday’s by-election with a majority of 6,000. While that’s significantly down from the majority in 2010, it’s also much better than the performance in the equivalent area in the Scottish Parliament elections just a few months ago. Congratulations to Iain Mackenzie, Labour’s newest MP, and to Scottish Labour, who now have some breathing space to rebuild.

There’s no such breathing space for the Lib Dems though, who suffered an absolute shocker last night. They’re now very much a minor party in Scotland, after slumping to just 2.2% of the vote, with much of their support swinging behind the SNP. The party are getting increasingly angry with the leadership – and can you blame them?

And remember “British jobs for British workers”? Well it seems that Iain Duncan Smith is keen to resurrect that Gordon Brown line, as the Telegraph report this morning. He argues that migrants are taking jobs from young British people? However there seems to be a lack of analysis, such as which jobs? And why? And that’s if the argument even stacks up in the first place…