Tories highlight threat of a vote for Galloway
GEORGE Galloway is a threat to the Union after it emerged he previously called for an independence referendum, the Tories have said.
The former Labour and Respect MP has set up a new party, All For Unity, to campaign for pro-Union votes on the regional list.
But it has been claimed that he actually puts the Union at risk by taking votes from the mainstream pro-UK parties.
Yesterday, Tory MSP Maurice Golden released a Talk Radio clip of Mr Galloway calling for the UK Government to hold an independence referendum.
The clip dates from March 2017, when Miss Sturgeon demanded the power to hold another referendum. Mr Galloway said: ‘It is time for the British Government to set a date after the withdrawal from the EU for a second independence referendum in Scotland.
‘And that way we can be the Yes rather than the No. There’s no point whatever in a British government denying a Scottish parliament a referendum. That is a democratic monstrosity.’
Alongside the clip, Mr Golden, the Scottish Tory economy spokesman, said: ‘Here is George Galloway demanding Indyref 2 and warning the British Government not to get in the way. Don’t risk it with fringe parties – block a nationalist majority by using your vote for Scottish Tories.’
A series of other Tory politicians yesterday launched attacks on Mr Galloway and his party after a Panelbase poll put All For Unity on 4 per cent on the regional list vote.
It would mean it could win one seat – but could also mean the Tories, Labour and Liberal Democrats lose seats to the pro-Independence SNP, Alba Party and Greens.
In a social media message about Mr Galloway, former Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: ‘All For Unity is simply his latest vanity trip to rescue his failed political career.’
Scottish Conservative candidate Annie Wells said: ‘Unlike others, the Scottish Conservatives allegiances are not up for question. We stopped an SNP majority and stopped them getting another referendum in 2016.
‘We stood up to them in 2017 and won seats from them when they demanded Indyref 2 again.
Every year, we oppose the SNP’s plans to divide us.’
When he launched his election push, Mr Galloway urged pro-Union voters to ‘hold your nose’ and back the best-placed pro-UK party on the constituency ballot, then support All For Unity on the regional list. He also said he intends to vote Conservative in his constituency.
But James Kanagasooriam, a partner at Hanbury Strategy and former head of analytics at polling firm Populus, said voters who back the party will boost the number of pro-independence MSPs. Writing on social media, Mr Kanagasooriam said that, while Alex Salmond’s new Alba Party is ‘potentially benefi
‘A democratic monstrosity’
‘Block nationalist majority’
cial’ to the pro-independence cause, All For Unity ‘damages the Unionist side’.
He said: ‘Conservatives, Labour and Liberals have very inefficient constituency votes.
‘They barely get ten-20 of the 73 first past the post contests with nearly 45 per cent of the votes. They – and the Unionist side – rely on the 56 list MSPs to get better representation at Holyrood.’
Mr Galloway said: ‘If the Tories spent as much time attacking the nationalists over the past five years as they have done us over the past 48 hours, perhaps they could have been on course for victory. Because they haven’t been robust opposition, the best way to defeat the SNP is to vote for the best-placed pro-Union candidate in the constituencies, and for All For Unity on the regional lists.’