Scots urged to take Holyrood election seriously
Tony Blair has headed to Scotland to join Scottish Labour leader Jack McConnell on the election campaign.
It is the prime minister’s third trip north of the border since the campaign began a week ago and comes as all but one recent opinion poll gave the SNP a comfortable lead over Labour.
As commentators increasingly speculate that it is Mr Blair’s personal unpopularity that is haemorrhaging votes for Labour in the regional elections, Mr McConnell and Mr Blair urged Scots not to use the Holyrood election to cast a protest vote.
“May 3rd is not about protest,” Mr Blair said. “It is about choice, a decision, a vote with a consequence.”
Mr Blair continued: “In all sorts of ways, seen and unforeseen, the election matters. There’s nothing dafter in politics than the old line about ‘it makes no difference’. 1997 made a difference, not least in Scotland. 2007 will make a difference, especially in Scotland.”
Labour are keen to frame a vote for the SNP as a vote for independence and are urging Scots not to risk the Union.
If elected, the SNP have promised to hold a referendum on independence by the end of the first parliamentary term.
However, because of the proportional representation element to the regional vote it is unlikely they or any party will hold a majority at Holyrood. Their most likely coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, this week said they would not support a referendum on independence.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell travelled to Edinburgh where he and Scottish leader Nicol Stephen launched a youth opportunity fund. He committed an extra £271 million for young people if the party wins in May.
The SNP’s Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon are campaigning in Glasgow, highlighting the importance of trust in government.
