GLASGOW council’s SNP leader has said she is “pretty certain” that Labour councillors will join her in campaigning for a Yes vote in indyref2.
Speaking to The Herald, Susan Aitken, who represents the Langside ward, said the Labour party's reflexive negativity to Scottish national identity was a "huge mistake".
She said: “Labour used to be really good at small-N cultural nationalism. It is one of their big failures that they have lost that confident understated Scottishness that people like Donald Dewar and John Smith did so well.
“Now anything that smacks of the saltire is ‘oh, this must be resisted at all costs’.
“I think that is a huge mistake for them.”
Aitken, who reportedly switched from Labour herself in her youth, also said she was unhappy with Labour always shifting the blame for issues at Westminster onto the SNP at Holyrood.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer: Scotland doesn't need another independence referendum
She went on: “I am not saying that Labour politicians should join me in campaigning for Scottish independence - though I think some of them will when Indyref2 comes, in fact I am pretty certain some of them will.”
A YouGov poll last year found around two-fifths (39%) of Scottish Labour voters also support independence.
A Lord Ashcroft study a little later had a similar result, with 40% of Scottish Labour voters saying they would vote Yes in indyref2.
Since then, the pro-independence vote has climbed significantly to become an established majority, recording above 50% in the last seven polls.
However, Malcolm Cunning, the leader of Glasgow council’s Labour group, dismissed Aitken’s claim, saying his party was 100% behind the Union.
READ MORE: Peers begged for 'hardship fund' after daily allowance was cut to £162
He told The Herald: “I can think of no member of the Labour Group who would campaign for independence. The position of the Labour Group is clear and unanimous.”
Glasgow council’s Tory leader Thomas Kerr said it was not “entirely surprising” that Labour councillors would support independence.
He said: "When I was growing up, the Labour Party claimed to be champions of solidarity. To see Labour councillors now repudiating those values in favour of the kind of narrow and divisive nationalism peddled by the SNP is beyond disappointing, although I confess not entirely surprising.
"If Labour councillors in Glasgow choose to join with those that promote division within our society then I will oppose them every step of the way."
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