No Euro breakthrough for SNP

Following Scottish Labour retaining two seats in the European Parliament, Iain Gray MSP said:

"These are disappointing results for Labour but we have learned lessons from the Euro campaign. The public have been deeply disillusioned by the expenses scandal and Labour, as the government, has taken the main hit.

"But as Gordon Brown said, Labour's priorities are to clean up politics and work towards economic recovery. I am delighted for David Martin and Catherine Stihler who have been returned as Labour's Scottish MEPs and know they will fight  to protect and create jobs and support workers' rights as part of one of the main groups in the European Parliament.

"Despite the SNP claims about taking a third seat once again it has been exposed as their usual hype. Labour at all levels will now be totally focused on supporting and creating jobs and winning the general election."

David Martin MEP added:
"We are delighted be on level pegging with the SNP in terms of number of MEPs. It was a difficult night for Labour, but it wasn't the breakthrough the SNP claimed they were heading for or hoped to secure."

Catherine Stihler MEP added:
"We are delighted to be sending a strong Labour contingent to the European Parliament. We pledge to continue the fight to work together for jobs for Scotland. It is clear that a proportion of our voters stayed at home, but it appears that the decline in the Tory and Lib Dem votes helped the Nationalists."