Let’s be better than abuse

What kind of country do we want to live in? Is it one of free speech, different opinions and robust debate? I want that but I am beginning to fear it’s disappearing.

Before the foamy-mouthed get all excited, this is not an all-out attack on those idiotic protestors who decide to waste their days and evenings following Jim Murphy around.

This is genuine concern about how politics across the UK and in particular in Scotland is conducted.

Demonising people who disagree with your world view has become standard practice. Abusing those who dare to answer back has replaced reasoned argument. There are no policies any more. There are barely people. Just “goodies”, “baddies”, “traitors”, “subsidy junkies”, “austerity axe men/women”, “cybernats” and other dehumanising labels.

As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Politics is nuanced. Nothing parties do is ever perfect.

Most make decisions based on what they see as the right reasons but priorities can never be uniform.

Debate should ensue. Policies should be disagreed on, sometimes robustly.

Here’s the thing – Labour is getting its comeuppance in Scotland for starting the delegitimising of opponents.

It has become accepted by many that “no Scot votes Tory”. Plainly that’s nonsense. Almost one in six people crossed their ballot paper beside a Conservative candidate in 2010 and that will probably rise today.

To gain in the short-term by sidelining opponents because of the colour of their rosette rather than what they said, Labour set itself up for a big fall.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. As part of Better Together, the party exposed itself to “Tory toxicity” and is suffering a mass nationalist kickback.

Such a tarnished brand is Scottish Labour among some parts of the country, that the message doesn’t matter – or the fact the SNP has lifted large swathes of its manifesto. A great number aren’t listening simply because of who is delivering the words.

Frankly, they’ve only got themselves to blame for both the electoral cycle coming back to bite them and not being smart enough over the last decade to heed the warning signs of their opponents adopting the same tactics.

Then we have the UK Conservative leadership, which seems quite happy to stir up English nationalism to win a few votes in marginal seats down south, either ignorant of or indifferent to the impact such divisive rhetoric has.

What all this does not excuse – in any way, shape or form – is the aggression and intimidation which some extremists reckon is OK to carry out.

Angry middle-aged men, mainly but not exclusively, who have nothing better to do on a Friday night, make the not-inconsiderable effort to go and scream in the faces of families who turn up to see Ed Miliband speak at a private event in Glasgow’s east end.

Or they decide it’s a good use of a Monday afternoon to go and harass Murphy because he’s speaking on a Glasgow street. Or Gordon Brown because he’s delivering a speech. Or follow Margaret Curran about, creepily filming her.

Or spray “**** SNP” on a family’s garage because of a window poster.

Campaigning is almost over. Dust is ready to settle. Please, Scotland. Please, UK. Let’s be better than this.

Demonising people who disagree with you has become standard practice”

Picture: Getty Images. Jim Murphy, leader of Labour in Scotland, had to face down angry protesters in Glasgow city centre while on the campaign trail. But must political debate always end up in a shouting match or abuse? Kieran wishes it did not.