DO SNP REALLY WANTA BORIS WIN?
»»Labour No2 suggests the Nats want Tory victory to boost support »»He says Labour government with left-wing policies makes Scots independence irrelevant
SHADOW Chancellor John McDonnell has accused Nicola Sturgeon of forming a doorstep “alliance” with the Tories to thwart Labour’s election chances.
The Labour heavyweight questioned why the SNP is campaigning hard in Labour constituencies if they are committed to dumping Boris Johnson from Downing Street.
He also implied that some activists in Sturgeon’s party would prefer a Tory victory at the polls this week – as they feel it would boost the SNP.
McDonnell hit out after opinion polls showed the Tories hold a comfortable lead over Labour.
His party’s offer to Scotland centres on £100billion of investment over 10 years if Jeremy Corbyn becomes prime minister.
In Scotland, Labour’s campaign has been dominated by a U-turn over IndyRef2 made by McDonnell.
Labour had previously been strongly opposed to another referendum but McDonnell said his party would not block a rerun of the 2014 vote.
The switch was aimed at wooing pro-independence voters and has fuelled speculation of a Labour/SNP pact after the election.
Despite the olive branch on IndyRef2, Labour activists are angry that Sturgeon has campaigned in Scottish seats won by their party in 2017. They believe the SNP should focus resources on the 13 seats won by the Scottish Tories two years ago.
McDonnell said: “It’s interesting that they are not concentrating on the Tories, isn’t it?
“This bizarre Johnson/ Sturgeon alliance that seems to be emerging practically on the ground.”
Asked who he believes the SNP wants to win the election, he said: “If you look at it, some would argue that having Boris Johnson might benefit the SNP because people would be so alienated. But, in arguing that, and doing that, it means large numbers of Scottish people would suffer.” He said the Tories and the SNP’s Scottish Government – who have been accused of failing on devolved public services – have a mutual interest in talking about independence:” McDonnell added: “All they want to talk about is the constitution issues. “The last thing they want working people to talk about is their living standards, the quality of their lives, what’s happening to their public services. It’s almost like a conspiracy – let’s not talk about the real world, let’s talk about constitutional issues. In that way, they have hijacked the political debate.”
McDonnell believes a Labour government pursuing left-wing policies would make the argument for independence “increasingly irrelevant”.
Quizzed on whether he believes Sturgeon’s view is that a Labour government would weaken the case for independence, he said: “It may well do.”
And asked to explain his message to pro-independence voters on why they should back Labour, he said: “The issues that we face now, both in terms of the social crisis and the environmental crisis,
are the ones we should focus on. Constitutional affairs won’t affect those matters.”
He was also critical of the SNP’s handling of anti-Semitism allegations faced by Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath candidate Neale Hanvey. The SNP withdrew support for Hanvey over his comments on Israel but some members have continued campaigning for him.
McDonnell, who says Labour’s initial handling of its anti-Semitism scandal is his biggest regret of the last two years, criticised SNP members for “brazenly” helping the renegade candidate.
He said: “Where has Nicola Sturgeon condemned that? What has she done about it?” He said of the SNP: “It has turned a blind eye to its members publicly campaigning for this candidate, using SNP colours. This is an SNP campaign in all but name.”
McDonnell has faced criticism inside Scottish Labour for his IndyRef2 U-turn. So, does he regret the way he announced the change? He said: “No. When you are in those situations, the most important thing is to answer honestly, fairly and with integrity as well. That’s what I did.”
Did he not throw the Scottish party under a bus? McDonnell said: “No, quite the reverse. We were able to make sure people understood what our policy was.”
On polls which predict a Tory victory, he claims the “trend” is towards Labour and believes undecided voters will break to his party.
Asked what his message is to voters with doubts about Corbyn, McDonnell said: “Every time Jeremy has appeared in debates, he wins hands down on polling around trustworthiness.
“Jeremy comes across as a principled, straightforward, honest person. This is the Establishment trying to prevent someone being elected who can transform working people’s lives.”
After hearing
McDonnell’s comments, SNP candidate Tommy Sheppard said: “Labour cannot stop the Tories in Scotland and would be far better focusing on the seats in England where their indecision over Brexit risks letting the Tories in.
“No matter how people normally vote, it is only voting for the SNP that can block Boris Johnson in Scotland.
“As a former Labour member, I urge all Labour voters in Tory marginals to recognise how important this is and back the SNP.”
This bizarre Johnson/ Sturgeon alliance
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