What's the mood in Scotland's most remain-voting constituency?

Inside the House of Commons it was messy too, with a third defeat of May’s vote on Friday leading to yet another weekend of political uncertainty. MPs are now preparing for yet more indicative votes and the prospect of a General Election looms large. So what would that mean in Scotland?

In East Renfrewshire, one of Scotland’s most hotly contested seats, the sense of political turmoil is far from apparent. In the well-heeled Giffnock, fathers and kids are shopping for Mother’s Day presents, teenagers queue for ice-cream, the pavement cafes are packed. This affluent area was the Tory’s safest seat until 1997 when it was won by Labour’s Jim Murphy, snatched back by Kirsten Oswald of the Scottish National Party in 2015, before being wrestled into Conservative hands once more by candidate Paul Masterton. It is also the area that voted for Remain by the biggest margin in Scotland with 74.3% of the electorate expressing a wish to stay part of the EU.

Behind the counter of a gift shop on the main drag, Kelly Duffy says few of her customers discuss politics, perhaps because views are so mixed. She voted Remain “because I did not want to live in a world that was imagined by Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage” and thinks the way its been handled is “a total disaster”. But this indy supporter does see a ray of hope though, in that the Westminster fiasco may make independence more likely. “I’d vote yes with bells on this time too,” she says. “I think more people in this area would. I know several people who voted no last time who are looking forward to having the vote and changing their mind from last time. EU membership was quite a big factor for people.”

Yet a few doors down at the fishmonger, 87-year-old Rose Miller is arguably a more typical voter here. She voted Remain. “United we stand, united we fall,” she says. “It’s an elderly constituency and none of us want to see anything change.” And though she had traditionally voted Tory, she helped elect Jim Murphy because she believed he cared about the area.

“It’s an awful mess,” she says of the current situation and yet she would vote Tory again if there was an election, to keep Jeremy Corbyn out. Working behind the counter, Derek who voted Leave, would now vote Remain “without a doubt”, but he agrees. Despite it all he’d vote Tory.

In nearby Clarkston, some children have set up a lemonade stand, one strumming a ukulele while they wait for customers and in the local flower shop – working flat out to meet the Mother’s Day orders – owner Mark is worried about the uncertainty. They have already had EU deliveries arrive a day late. But he has no idea what a General Election might mean here.

Support worker Chioma Nwanna voted both Remain and Yes

Neither, really, do support worker Chioma Nwanna and her husband Kal, who are enjoying the sunshine while they watch their six year old son play in Rouken Glen park. They came from Nigeria to Scotland in 2005 – via London – and Kal now works in medical research. The couple both voted Remain and Yes in the Scottish independence referendum – a chance for self-determination that they were surprised more Scots did not seize. “If the chance comes up again people might vote for it so that they can stay in the EU,” Kal suggests.

The political situation, say both, is “shambolic” but yet Chioma is pragmatic. “I understand why so many people are angry with Theresa May but to be honest, I would have resigned. It was David Cameron that started all of this and walked away. Coming from where I’m coming from you cannot speak to your President in that way. And I don’t think they should put it back to the people. It will create more chaos.” The vote is the vote, she says. Yet in such a divided county, that is no longer a certainty anyone can cling to.