The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Dugdale: Labour targeting more than just three seats
Reaction: Scottish leader says party selecting candidates across country
Kezia Dugdale has dismissed as “absolute nonsense” claims that Labour is targeting just three seats in Scotland in the forthcoming general election.
With support for the party on the slide in its former heartland, there had been speculation Labour would focus its efforts on winning Edinburgh South, which returned Ian Murray as Scotland’s sole Labour MP in 2015, East Renfrewshire and East Lothian.
When asked about the claims, Ms Dugdale insisted: “It’s an absolute nonsense.” The Scottish Labour leader, who was campaigning in Easterhouse in the east end of Glasgow, added: “We’re selecting candidates in all seats across the country.
“I’m immensely proud of the candidates we’ve selected, they represent a new generation of Labour candidates, many of them are standing for the first time.”
A YouGov poll put support for Labour in Scotland at 18% – 10 percentage points lower than the Conservatives and well behind the SNP, who were on 41%.
Projections based on the figures suggested the Tories could win eight seats north of the border on June 8 while Labour were forecast to return only one MP again, holding Edinburgh South.
The same poll also showed 51% of people against a second independence referendum.
Ms Dugdale said that “first and foremost” her party was opposed to a fresh ballot on Scotland’s place in the UK.
“Independence would mean £15billion of additional cuts to Scotland and that would hit hardest here in the east end of Glasgow,” she said.
“Yet again we’ve seen a poll which shows support for independence falling and opposition to a second independence referendum is high.
“That means the people who voted both Yes and No want to leave these arguments of the past behind us and focus on the future – focus on how we can invest in public services and how we can invest in communities.
“The Labour Party has always been very clear we’re opposed to independence and opposed to a second independence referendum.
“We’re selecting candidates in all seats across the country”
“We’ll do our damnedest to talk about education, to talk about the quality of our schools, about how to make sure our elderly people can stay healthy and well in their own homes for as long as possible.
“But the constitutional question isn’t going away and on that debate Labour stands firmly against a second independence referendum.”