The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Corbyn ‘dancing to SNP’s
PM arrives in Scotland as minister quits and Rees-Mogg urged to resign over Grenfell
Boris Johnson will seek to relaunch the Tory election campaign in Scotland today after a disastrous 24 hours for the party, in which a Cabinet minister quit and a key ally was forced to apologise for insensitive remarks about the Grenfell Tower fire.
The prime minister will arrive in Moray this afternoon, asking voters to back the Scottish Conservatives at the December 12 election in order to “get Brexit done and take this country forward”.
Mr Johnson warned last night that if he failed to win a majority in the pre-Christmas poll there would be a “horror show of yet more dither and delay”.
The prime minister was forced to contend with his own horror show yesterday however as Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns resigned over claims he knew about a former aide’s role in the “sabotage” of a rape trial.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, meanwhile, faced calls to quit after he said it would have been “common sense” to ignore the fire brigade’s advice and flee the Grenfell Tower fire.
Mr Johnson did not address either of the issues in a speech on the steps of Downing Street yesterday, instead choosing to focus on Brexit and his proposed domestic agenda.
“On day one of the new parliament in December, we will start getting our deal through so we can get Brexit done in January and unleash this country’s potential. We’ll put uncertainty behind us,” he said.
He added that a “flood of investment” was waiting to come in once Britain leaves the European Union with his Withdrawal Agreement.
“If we can get this deal over the line with a sensible majority government, we certainly can release that pent-up flood of investment.”
He later added: “This is a crucial election for Scotland.
“A vote for the Scottish Conservatives is a vote to stop a second independence referendum and to get Brexit done so we can spend 2020 taking back control of our fishing waters, getting a fairer deal for our farmers, and investing in public services to give people better healthcare and a better education.
“The other choice is a vote for Jeremy Corbyn who would spend next year dancing to the SNP’s tune, wasting the year with two divisive referendums – one on the EU and one to give up on our Union.”
Labour leader Mr Corbyn, who was on the campaign trail in his hometown Telford yesterday, said he would be a “very different” prime minister if his party wins.
He said: “I was not born to rule. None of us in this room were born to rule. I don’t pursue the kind of politics that thinks it’s all a game, a parlour game, a debating society game.
“I want to seek power for our party in order to share that power out all across the country and with all those communities that would have contributed to this historic Labour election victory which we’re looking forward to on December 12.”
The comments came as Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson boarded the party’s “battle bus” in London for a five-week tour of the country.
Ms Swinson insisted that she was realistic in predicting the Lib Dems could win “hundreds” of seats in December, saying: “I am happy to take on both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, neither of whom is fit to be prime minister, whatever.”
“I want to seek power in order to share that power out all across the country”