I know I've written about this before but I am getting very hacked off with Labour's continual negative campaigning in the Scottish Elections. I watched the leaders debate on TV on Sunday night and while it wasn't the most impressive performance from Jack McConnell at least he was focusing on what Labour can do. I thought at last Labour had a change of heart but it seems to have been a temporary blip. It's the last full day before the elections and they have launched yet another attack on the SNP. Their main message this election seems to be don't vote for the SNP otherwise the world will end. I may have taken some artistic licence there but it's not that far from the truth.
Labour seem to be bullying people into voting for them and trying to play on voter's fears of what might happen to Scotland if the SNP get in. Surely this isn't the way to run an election campaign and to inspire confidence. Have Labour been studying the style of the BNP who play on people's fear of immigration? A party who wants power should be forward-thinking, positive and proactive, I'm not sure Labour have demonstrated any of these qualities so far.
The latest blatant electioneering gambit is for Tony Blair to come up to Scotland to announce for the first time that it's likely that a Scot will be the next Prime Minister of Britain. For me this is an insult to the Scottish people. Firstly it's common knowledge that Gordon Brown is the favourite to take over and for Labour to think that this may sway voters to chose Labour is naive at best. Secondly Tony Blair himself is a Scot, a fact he likes to forget. He was born in Edinburgh and went to school here, that hasn't done Scotland any favours so why is Gordon Brown going to be any different. I would like to think Scots are more intelligent than Blair seems to be giving us credit for.
The most concerning aspect of this campaign is the fact that it may well succeed. SNP are ahead in the polls but the gap to Labour seems to be narrowing as we get closer to election day. It seems the final result will probably be very close and the Lib Dems may well be the party which helps decide the future of Scotland by forming a coalition with either Labour or the SNP. Voters do seem very disillusioned with Labour and Tony Blair in particular especially over the Iraq war, this could prove to be very significant.
I personally think the best result would be a coalition between SNP and Lib Dems. Whilst their campaigns haven't been without problems, at least both are focusing on what they can do for Scotland. I'm not sure the SNP are ready to run the country on their own especially if they start pushing for independence and picking fights with Westminster. Having the Lib Dems there will help to ensure the SNP focus on what's best for the country.
2 comments:
Not wanting to get into an argument here, but the SNP are just as guilty when it comes to negative campaigning. It's a bit late now, but listen to Alex Salmond the next time he makes a speech, and see if he manages it without mentioning Labour once.
I reckon it's impossible. I've been following the campaign a bit more recently, and I'm still not convinced that the campaign the SNP are running is issues based.
As for Blair showing up in the campaign, lest we forget that one of the first things he did in office was to propose a bill for the creation of the Scottish Parliament? I couldn't care less if he claims if he was from the Isle of Man, in all honesty. The fact of the matter is that Blair and Brown represent the uk parliament, and are therefore bound to make decisions on what is necessary for that entity.
Any decisions that affect Scotland on local issues should be dealt with by the tool we have to do such things, i.e. the Parliament.
The Iraq factor is a big influence at the end of the day, and it's the reason why the SNP are riding high in the polls. However, the voting public are a fickle bunch, and the rejection of Labour at the polls this year is no different to the reasons why the Tories were hammered in 1997.
Independence is a big, big leap, and a discussion of which is a whole new posting in itself. I'm not sure people actually realise what would be involved in such a process. It's not simply the case of running the saltire up the flag pole at Edinburgh Castle.
Whilst Labour have been pretty negative on this front, it's still necessary to balance the views of Salmond and co who are making out that everything would fall into place if their referrendum were to succeed.
I'm still not voting though...
I will admit that the SNP are guilty of some negative campaigning, as are all political parties. However the difference is that this is Labour's main campaigning tool while the other parties are talking up what they can do for the country.
An element of politics is to talk yourself up against your opponents but this can be done is a positive manner. Labour message has been lost amidst all the anti SNP ranting. I think this may well be deliberate to mask the fact they have done very little in the Scottish Parliament. The recent attempt of Labour to tell Lib Dem & Tory voters to vote for Labour to stop the SNP getting in was shameful and embarrassing.
It doesn't matter where the PM is from but Blair thinking that having a Scot as PM will make Scots vote for Labour and that is an insult. If he spent more time sorting out the issues in the country rather than worrying about his legacy then people may have more respect for him. This and the Iraq war is why it is a mistake for Blair to be spending so much time electioneering in Scotland at the expense of Jack McConnell.
Local issues should be dealt with by the Scottish Parliament I feel otherwise there is no point in having it. This isn't happening at the moment as McConnell is a puppet for Westminster.
Regarding the independance issue, the SNP have been very careful not to talk this issue up. In the past they have based their whole campaign around an independant Scotland and I think this has scared off some voters (a fact Labour are now playing on). However I think the SNP realise that while Scottish voters are looking for a change, they aren't quite ready the break up of the Union. Therefore they are talking about other issues. If SNP do win the most seats, they are likely to form a coalition with pro-unionist parties. This will mean independance will be less likely although a referendum may happen in a few years. Then it will be up to the Scottish people to decide. I'm not saying that Scotland should or shouldn't be independant but I do think it is time for a change and the SNP aren't going to force this through if the Scottish people don't want it.
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