Watson’s surprise at winning seats
DEPUTY Labour leader Tom Watson admitted the party were “surprised” by their success in Scotland in the general election. Labour plunged from 41 seats to just one MP in Ian Murray in the 2015 Westminster vote. With the party behind the SNP and the Tories in the run-up to June’s snap election, there was speculation Labour could struggle to make any gains. However, Labour won seven seats, with Murray retaining Edinburgh South and picking up six others from the SNP.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Watson said: “Frankly, we were surprised at the results in Scotland.”
He added: “We shouldn’t have been because I was up campaigning in the local elections in May, on the doorsteps in Glasgow and people were beginning to tell me their views on the health service, the education system.
“After 10 years in government, the SNP are failing in the delivery of those public services.”
He also insisted that Labour’s leadership were opposed to the prospect of any deal with the SNP, despite MEP David Martin suggesting the groundwork should be laid for a possible coalition at Holyrood to keep out the Conservatives.
Watson said: “I’ve never talked about doing deals with the SNP.
“Some of our colleagues still do but that’s certainly not the leader and deputy leader that say that.”