Only Labour can convince Scotland to stay, but they’re not doing much about it
Joe Wright, 12 February 2014
The complaint of the No campaign, currently led by old-reliable Alistair Darling, is that it appeals too much to the head and not at all to the heart. David Cameron in his speech to Scotland (from London) last week tried to rectify this, but it wasn’t hugely successful.
Granted, as the Prime Minister he can hardly remain silent on the potential breakup of the country – though he has tried – but as an Etonian conservative who pretty much symbolises all of the undesirable characteristics of Westminster rule that Scottish Nationalists wish to capitalise on, Cameron is the worst possible choice to speak to Scotland’s heart.
On top of this, the Conservative party image in Scotland – with or without Cameron – has floundered since 1992: David Mundell has been the only Conservative MP for Scotland since 2005. Before that, it was the lonely job of Peter Duncan MP, and before that, there was no one. It’s hard to believe there is a better time than now for the SNP to make a break for independence.
Making Alastair Darling the ambassador for the No campaign instead of the secretary of state for Scotland was a clear attempt by unionists to extract the Tory-Scotland problem from the debate, but it is not enough. So far the SNP has been allowed to frame the independence debate as a left-right argument rather than a UK-Scotland one. The Conservative-led austerity-drive is an easy stick for Alex Salmond to beat the No campaign around the head with. His White Paper on Scottish independence, Scotland’s Future, was full of progressive promises that would have fitted neatly into a Labour manifesto – all designed to end austerity.
Lib Dem interventions, needless to say, are equally problematic and tainted by government. The suggestion that Danny Alexander should play a greater role only allows the SNP to refocus on recession-induced austerity instead of the wider benefits of union.
Labour should be far more vocal in this debate. Interventions from Douglas Alexander, Jim Murphy, or perhaps even Miliband himself, would have a far better chance of appealing to the heart of a naturally more left wing country. They could wrong foot the SNP campaign by ‘speaking truth to the Scottish left’ on SNP spending promises. The only direct line Salmond has used against Labour is the Iraq war, and it’s hard to make that stick on the current Labour front bench.
The uncertainty as to whether Scotland can really remain in a currency with the UK and be independent is a genuine concern for most undecided voters (Ed Balls and Danny Alexander are lining up behind the Chancellor to push this point), but the No campaign should not be side-tracked in trying to justify this brand of conservatism (diluted by the Lib Dems) to Scottish people. Right now they need to focus on reminding Scotland there is something more to the UK than stability. The independence campaign is already preparing a huge ad blitz as the referendum nears, reportedly reserving up to £2.5 million worth of outdoor advertising space.