IAN Murray has been accused of hypocrisy after claiming the SNP would let the Tories back into power – after himself nearly joining an “alliance” with Conservative MPs.
Scotland’s only Labour MP said the SNP had “let the cat out of the bag” after Aberdeen MP Kirsty Blackman said the party would vote against a minority Keir Starmer government if he failed to win a majority next year and doubled down on refusing indyref2.
He said: “What they’re essentially saying, and what Mhairi Black said, is there’s no difference between whether…they don’t care if there’s a Labour or Tory government and Kirsty’s saying they would bring down a Labour government and bring the Tories back in.”
This is the same Ian Murray who nearly defected to Change UK in 2019, a literal alliance between Conservative and Labour politicians https://t.co/CMqJv8K7UA
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) May 18, 2023
But his comments were skewered by commentator Owen Jones who brought up Murray’s flirtation with the doomed Change UK group of MPs.
It was reported in 2020 Murry had seriously considered joining the group of Labour and Conservative defectors – all of whom lost their seats at the election the year earlier – going as far as to rehearse a speech announcing he had jumped ship.
He released a statement at the time saying he had changed his mind at the last minute and wanted to “fight” for Labour.
Jones said: “This is the same Ian Murray who nearly defected to Change UK in 2019, a literal alliance between Conservative and Labour politicians.”
He added: “Imagine nearly joining Tories in the same political party, and then denouncing your opponents for risking letting the Tories in. Couldn't be me!”
Murray was approached for comment.
