WHEN Socialist Isobel Lindsay voted yesterday it was a labour of love.

She voted with her heart and put X beside the name of her husband,

Scottish National Party candidate Tom McAlpine.

Tom was fighting to retain his seat in Biggar for the SNP in the new

South Lanarkshire Council.

However, 12 miles away in Lanark, Isobel had been campaigning for a

Labour candidate. She did not canvass in Biggar for her husband.

She did, however, make the tea for SNP followers using her home as the

local headquarters.

Isobel was a key figure in the SNP's hierarchy but walked out because

the party refused to co-operate with the Scottish Constitutional

Convention.

Yesterday Isobel, 51, a mother-of-three, headed for the polls and

said: ''There's no Labour candidate in Biggar so I have no difficulty.

But had there been a Labour candidate Tom would still have got my

personal vote.''

A lecturer at Strathclyde University's Department of Government,

Isobel believes that a Labour government is Scotland's best hope of

progressing its interests and forming a Scottish Parliament.

Tom, 61, said: ''There are no fights about politics between Isobel and

me, just sensible discussion.

''Of course I'm delighted Isobel voted for me. But it is a bit easier

for her as there is not a Labour person standing.''

Tom was in a straight fight with Tory candidate Charles Thorpe, 38.

He fought on his past record of success in getting new council house

and sheltered houses as well as a day-care centre for the town.

Mr Thorpe decided to stand because he was furious at council attempts

to foist the Biggar road plan on local residents.

*A man from the west coast of Scotland yesterday made a political

protest at his local polling station because he was not allowed to vote.

For German Reiner Luyken has lived in Achiltibuie, Wester Ross for the

past 18 years and was able to vote in the Highlands and Islands European

elections last year.

But Britain is not due to ratify the part of the Maastricht Treaty

which allows EU residents to vote in other member countries' elections

until next January.

The 40-year-old asked for a report to be sent to the Returning Officer

after he was refused the right to register his vote at Achiltibuie

village hall.

He is now calling on other disenfranchised EU nationals to do the same

in the local elections in England and Wales and make a strong political

point.

Mr Reiner said: ''There seems to be a lack of understanding about the

situation people like myself find themselves in. If enough people

highlight the problem something may be done about it.''