UK Labour Leadership Contender Tells Scottish Leader: Westminster Trumps Scotland

"Car Crash Interview" Shows Labour Out of Touch with Scotland
Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith has insisted that the Westminster party should ignore Scottish Labour on Trident renewal – while claiming that promises made prior to the independence referendum were “contingent on Labour being in power”.

In a car-crash interview on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, Mr Smith also described income-tax rates as “non-devolved”, despite them being devolved under the Scotland Act.

Just days after former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the Scotland Act was now out of date and that Scotland should receive full Home Rule, Mr Smith said that the “nature of devolution” was that Scottish Labour’s positions would be trumped by Westminster.

Mr Smith also said that it was for the Scottish people to determine whether there should be a second independence referendum – in direct contradiction of Scottish Labour’s manifesto commitment to oppose a new referendum.

Commenting, SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald said:

“This car crash interview shows just how out of touch Labour is with Scotland – with a potential party leader seemingly unaware of Scottish Labour policy and ignorant of what is and isn’t devolved.

“Owen Smith is completely at odds with Scottish Labour on a second referendum and on Trident – and this is the candidate backed by Kezia Dugdale – but we welcome a Labour voice acknowledging that it is ultimately for the Scottish people to decide on a second referendum.

“But what’s most galling is that Mr Smith brushed off the promises made to the people of Scotland on EU membership and on shipbuilding during the independence referendum campaign saying that these were ‘contingent’ on Labour being in power.

“Such a dismissive attitude to these broken promises only reminds people in Scotland that Labour campaigned shoulder-to-shoulder with the Tories during the referendum – a fact that has haunted Labour ever since and which will continue to do so.”

SNP Challenge Labour to 'Do the Maths'

‘FLAGSHIP’ POLICY FLAGGING UNDER SCRUTINY
The SNP is calling on Labour to “do the maths” as Scottish Parliament figures reveal their plans to pay for a new £110 education fund could be out by £76 million.

The multimillion pound shortfall was identified in new figures produced by the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe) this week.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has committed to fund her education plans through increasing the top rate of tax – but with SPICe estimates showing this could raise only £34 million compared to Labour’s expected £110 million there is a gaping black hole in her projections.

Commenting, SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said:

“Kezia Dugdale needs to go back and do the maths on this proposal – having given no thought whatsoever to how her party might fund it.

“These figures show Labour’s estimates could be out by a staggering £76 million – little wonder that people in Scotland don’t trust them on education or with Scotland’s finances.

“Meanwhile, the SNP Government is taking forward sensible, costed plans to close the attainment gap in education, including delivery of the £100 million attainment challenge.

“As Labour struggle as a credible party of opposition – on this and on so many other key issues – it becomes increasingly clear that the SNP is the only party that people can trust to deliver for Scotland."

Bitter Together - Labour Front-Bencher in Tirade Against Anti-Independence Campaign

LAMONT’S LEADERSHIP FURTHER CALLED INTO QUESTION
Further fractures have appeared in the anti-independence campaign after a Labour frontbencher launched an astonishing personal attack against Alistair Darling, and distanced himself completely from the “Better Together” campaign.

Participating in an Edinburgh People’s Festival debate on Thursday evening entitled Independent Scotland, Lothians MSP Neil Findlay said of the creation of Better Together:

“we had that nice man Alistair Darling and he had tea and home baking provided by his wife at his flat in Pilton - it is Pilton that Alastair stays in isn’t it? [LAUGHTER] - along with comrade McLetchie, wee Dougie Alexander and somebody I’ve never heard of from the Lib Dems but he’s probably never heard of me either”

As for the launch itself, Mr Findlay said that:

“we got treated to the stirring rhetoric of the said Mr Darling and then Annabel Goldie playing Mrs Merton, interviewing ‘normal Scots’ about what’s important about the beloved union. Why any self-respecting ‘normal Scot’ would want to speak to Annabel Goldie I’ve no idea.”

Mr Findlay, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Learning and Skills, is a member of the Red Paper Collective, which is seeking to form a devo-max alternative to full independence. This is in stark contrast to Labour’s official position of siding with the Tories in the Better Together campaign, which refuses to countenance any further powers for the Scottish Parliament.

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon MacDonald has said that the focus is now on Johann Lamont's response, with one of her front-benchers openly criticising both the Better Together campaign and the leadership abilities of Alistair Darling.

Commenting, Mr MacDonald said:

“These astonishing remarks show the level of discontent within Labour circles about their participation in the Tory-led anti-independence campaign.

“For a senior Labour frontbencher to openly criticise one of their flagship policies, as well as launch a bitter personal attack on one of their most senior politicians, is hugely embarrassing - both for Mr Darling and for Labour in Scotland.

“Clearly Mr Findlay can’t have thought much about Mr Darling’s legacy as Chancellor either.

“Of course, Mr Findlay is simply reflecting the wider frustrations within his Party – that instead of looking at how more powers could deliver a more socially just Scotland, Labour are choosing to side with the Tories to completely oppose any constitutional change.

“The focus is now on Johann Lamont. With a member of her front-bench openly criticising the anti-independence campaign with impunity, are all Labour MSPs now allowed to do as they please?”