SCOTTISH Labour has been accused of “giving up” in General Election contests after leaked data revealed the number of voters contacted by the party has plummeted by over 80 per cent.
An internal Labour spreadsheet shows the total figure for voters spoken to has fallen significantly in 31 of 33 seats compared to the last Westminster poll.
In Aberdeen South the number fell from 1,621 to 31, while in Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East the recorded figure has collapsed from 3,020 to just three.
SNP candidate Hannah Bardell said: "It's clear that they've completely given up in most constituencies across Scotland and underlines exactly why the SNP is the only party able to stand up for Scotland against the Tories at Westminster.”
Scottish Labour is competing in seats across the country, but senior insiders fear they may come fourth behind the Lib Dems next month in terms of seats.
On Friday, the party announced its “biggest ever telephone campaign” session in a bid to reach 200,000 “swing voters” in marginal seats.
However, behind the scenes, there is alarm at the lack of Labour members hitting the streets and helping reach voters.
In common with all parties Labour members are expected to make voter “contacts” – door knocks and phone canvassing – and log the number of individuals reached.
The data allows Labour headquarters to see which local parties are making a big effort and devote resources to campaigns that are going well.
In a document circulated to senior Labour figures last week the party produced a league table of voter contacts broken down by constituency.
The spreadsheet compares contacts from “last week” – believed to be the middle of May – with the “equivalent” week at the 2015 general election.
According to the data even priority seats are showing big falls. In Edinburgh South, Labour’s solitary win in 2015, the contact figure has fallen from 4459 to 2578.
In East Lothian, widely believed to be Labour’s best chance of a gain next month, the number has decreased by over 50 per cent, from 3384 to 1237.
Other seats that were solidly Labour until the last general election appear to have been written off.
In Paisley & Renfrewshire South, which used to be held by former Labour Cabinet Minister Douglas Alexander, the recorded voter contacts have fallen from 3170 to 308.
In Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, which was Gordon Brown’s seat, the number “last week” was 151, but stood at 2622 in the equivalent week in 2015.
The figures in Glasgow, once staunchly Labour, are also low. In Glasgow North West, voter contacts fell from 2685 to 96, while in Glasgow South West the tallies slumped from 1419 to 270.
The bottom end of the league table also makes grim reading for Scottish Labour supporters.
In Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, the contact number has nosedived from 374 to four.
In total, the number of contacts fell from 71,179 in the equivalent week at the 2015 general election, to 12,155.
The spreadsheet only contains data for 33 constituencies, with the 33rd seat on the list, Moray, having a contact total of “1”.
Two constituencies have seen voter contact increases: Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, and Central Ayrshire.
A senior party source said: “Members are demoralised. They know we are heading for a terrible result. It doesn’t exactly inspire you to go on the doorstep.”
A second insider said the figures showed that most of the effort was focused on a “very small” number of seats, unlike in 2015 when the party was trying to hold nearly 40 seats.
It is also understood that data can be entered late and the figures could potentially change.
Scottish Conservative candidate Ross Thomson said: "These figures show the Labour vote has collapsed all over Scotland – and they know it. These numbers are embarrassing for Labour, and don't bode well at all for the upcoming election.
"It goes to show this is a two-horse race between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP, leaving voters with a very clear choice."
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "Swing voters in marginal seats in Scotland hold the key to this election result, and in many areas it is a clear two-horse race between Labour and the SNP.
"Labour has just rolled out innovative new telephone software that allows our supporters to speak directly to swing voters in marginal seats.”
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