An atmosphere of apathy surrounds Kirkintilloch, the capital of East Dunbartonshire in the closing week of the UK’s general election campaign.
The small town just northeast of Glasgow appears markedly absent of general election canvassers as the heavy rain and 4pm dusks overshadow election enthusiasm.
As the UK election draws to a close, the sun could also be setting early on the incumbent MP Jo Swinson, who has also served as the leader the Liberal Democrats since July 2019.
Swinson holds East Dunbartonshire by just 5,339 votes, having taken the seat from the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2017.
While polling shows the remain vote being squeezed by the Labour Party and independence sentiment rising in Scotland, the prospect of the young leader losing her seat has become a grave possibility.
While the Liberal Democrat national campaign has disintegrated in recent weeks, the 39-year old’s elevation to the head of the party came out of a summer high for the Lib Dems.
Amid waning disillusionment among remain supporters with Labour’s "neutral" Brexit position, Swinson’s rise followed a shock jump of the Liberal Democrats to second place in the European Union elections, replacing Corbyn’s Labour as the lightning rod of anti-Brexit sentiment.
Also seeing a spike in her personal approval rating, it appeared that Swinson had inherited, if not overseen, the Liberal Democrats returning to the UK as a serious political force.
The party appeared to have flanked Labour from the remain side, offering moderation and stability in contrast to the left-lurching and indecisive Labour Party. All while opposing the Brexit-zealousness of Tory leader Boris Johnson.
After a series of what were widely seen as catastrophic media performances, her public perception has begun wane, with polling indicating that that the more the public see her, the less they seem to like her.
While Boris Johnson’s ignominy has dominated the social media spotlight, seeing the Prime Minister booed out of towns and cities as he campaigns across the country, Swinson herself has also been the recipient of vitriol from young people angry at her very public voting record in favour of austerity, military interventions, and raising tuition fees during the Lib/Con coalition government from 2010 – 2015.
This youth worker asked Jo Swinson some pretty simple questions about cuts to youth services when she came to visit his centre. Not only could she not answer them - but the Lib Dems press person then tried to remove him from the room. pic.twitter.com/GIIOPCVCNl
She’s also been accused by locals of using the constituency as a platform for her national ambitions. Not attending hustings, or even living in the constituency she was elected to represent.
The SNP Wave
Conversely, the Scottish National Party have made themselves a local presence in the area, proudly displaying the name of their candidate - Amy Callaghan, on a central high street office.