The SNP has today challenged Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy on whether he agrees with Labour Lord Lewis Moonie, who has said that he would prefer a coalition with the Tories to a deal with the SNP.
Baron Moonie, a Labour MP between 1987 and 2005, and a former Defence Minister, tweeted that a coalition with the Tories "would be better than one with the SNP".
This follows Robert James McNeill, who at the time of posting was a member of Labour’s Scottish Policy Forum and Vice-Chair of East Lothian Constituency Labour Party, promoting on Twitter that Labour voters in 16 Scottish constituencies should vote for the Tories or Lib Dems.
Commenting, SNP MP Pete Wishart said:
“No wonder more people in Scotland now trust the SNP rather than Labour to keep out the Tories. The SNP will never do a deal that puts the Tories back into power - by contrast, both at Westminster and in Scotland, senior Labour figures are cuddling up to the Tories and suggesting working with them.
“The call by a member of Labour's Policy Forum for people in Scotland to vote for more Tory MPs at the General Election was a major headache for Jim Murphy - and now it is even worse with a Labour Lord saying he backs a coalition with the Tories in preference to working with the SNP. Labour's General Election campaign in Scotland is in meltdown.
“Unless Jim Murphy publicly distances himself from Baron Moonie’s preferred coalition with the Tories, the only conclusion people in Scotland will be able to draw is that he too advocates cuddling up to the Tories - which would make the re-election of David Cameron more likely. That is why it is vital that people in Scotland vote SNP - to get rid of the Tories, and give Scotland a strong voice at Westminster.
“The key issue in May is who will best represent the people of Scotland - and the General Election is a wonderful opportunity for Scotland to have power by electing a strong team of SNP MPs to a hung parliament at Westminster.”
