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.