A Labour MP has been accused of “patronising” voters by appealing to Scots to re-engage with UK politics if they want rid of Boris Johnson’s government.
Tory MSP Russell Findlay hit out after Labour’s Ian Murray told the Record that Scotland would be stuck in a “constitutional merry-go-round” unless his party makes an electoral break-through.
In a Daily Record interview the Edinburgh MP said: “Scottish voters have to decide. If they wish to change the colour of the government at Westminster they have to participate in UK politics.”
Ahead of the Labour conference in Brighton, Murray added: “Our job, our half of the deal, is to give them a policy platform and a party that they can feel is a credible alternative government. Hopefully, the two sides can come together and they can vote for us.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay said: “This kind of condescending message is exactly why Labour slumped to their worst ever Holyrood election result in May."
“Labour are patronisingly blaming Scottish voters for deserting them, instead of facing up to their failures to get off the fence and stand up to Nicola Sturgeon.”
He added: “The Scottish Conservatives are the only party providing a real opposition to the SNP and building a real alternative for Scotland to this tired and out of touch nationalist Government.”
For the SNP Airdrie and Shotts MSP Neil Gray highlighted that even if Labour took all 59 Scottish seats in Westminster, they would not be able to overtake the Tory majority.
Gray, who was also the MP for Airdrie and Shotts before taking a seat in Holyrood, said: “Ian Murray appears frustrated Labour can no longer take support for granted in Scotland. Trouble for Ian & Labour is even if every Scottish MP was Labour they still would not be in government. They should listen to a third of their own support who want independence.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
