Strathkelvin and Bearsden

Standing for Westminster in 2001, Ms Turner tapped into strong local feeling about the threat to hospital services.

While it is hard to find direct impact from her presence at Holyrood over the past four years, her victory clearly made ministers fearful that anger about hospital changes and closures elsewhere could do the same all over the country.

Ms Turner left it late to say she was standing again, defending a majority of only 438, lacking the same salience to the hospital issue and hoping to retain local hero status.

Labour's David Whitton, the late Donald Dewar's spin doctor, has been working the seat hard, and is eager to ensure the Lib Dems do not capitalise on their success at the Westminster election in 2005, when they ousted Labour and installed the 26-year-old Jo Swinson as MP.

She was influential in ensuring Cathy McInnes became LibDem candidate for Holyrood, but had problems defending their less popular decisions, including a cut in the frequency of bin collections.

Mr Whitton has to shore up weakening middle-class support in prosperous Milngavie, the area which is also the best hope for Stephanie Fraser, the young female face of Toryism.

12:01am Tuesday 10th April 2007

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