THE shadow Scottish secretary has said “all bets are off” regarding Labour’s chances in next year’s Holyrood elections.
Ian Murray, the only Labour MP in Scotland, said there could be a “re-calibration” in the priorities of Scottish voters following the coronavirus outbreak.
The perspective of the Scottish electorate could change following the pandemic, the Edinburgh South MP believes, shifting away from the constitutional issues which have featured in recent Scottish elections.
He said: “I feel that what this crisis has done from a political perspective is recalibrated everyone’s focus on what’s important. That’s about community, public services, the security of the world of work, the fragility of the economy, education, what’s most important to families and businesses across the country.”
Murray said Scottish Labour would need to do three things to boost their chances in the poll: be clear on their stance on independence, present an alternative and “relentlessly expose” why they are against it.
Scotland is in lockdown. Shops are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of The National is at stake. Please consider supporting us through this with a digital subscription from just £2 for 2 months by following this link: http://www.thenational.scot/subscribe. Thanks – and stay safe.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel