No zeal in Labour for SNP pact
![Jim Murphy and Nicola Sturgeon [Image: BBC].](https://voxpoliticalonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/150210murphy_sturgeon.jpg)
Jim Murphy and Nicola Sturgeon [Image: BBC].
Admittedly, the paper’s information comes from a Democratic Unionist (Irish) MP, but it supports a clear direction of travel that we are seeing in the run-up to May 7; that the SNP has burnt its bridges with the Westminster parties.
The DUP is traditionally seen as closer to the Conservatives politically, meaning SNP supporters are likely to try to spin this into a claim that the possibility of an alliance with that party shows Labour are moving further to the right-wing of politics. Announcements like yesterday’s, that Labour would increase paternity leave (and paternity pay) substantially, show up the falseness of such a claim.
“It stands to reason that Labour should not rely on SNP votes and the enormously high price the nationalists would extract off Ed Miliband,” the DUP’s Nigel Dodds told the newspaper.
“I know that many people in the Labour party are deeply concerned about that prospect because it could be the death knell of the Labour party in Scotland. Because if they go down this route they will basically be saying to Labour supporters in Scotland that it’s OK to vote for the SNP in the future.
““I think everybody that supports the union should be very, very concerned about the prospect of a large swath of nationalist MPs holding the balance of power and being able to dictate to the Labour party for instance.
“That would lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom.”
Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
analysing the strategies behind British politics.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
If the SNP do get a landslide victory, who else do Labour join with?
Far right UKIP? Not going to happen.
Greens? They’ll be lucky to have one or two seats.
Conservatives? Heck no.
Plaid Cymru? Not enough of them and the same problems as with the SNP.
The Northern Ireland parties? Pretty controversial.
The battered remains of the Lib Dems once the voters are finished with them? Possible, but do we really want Lib Dems in government? Do the Lib Dems themselves want to risk getting even more unpopular as part of a Labour government, and end up with 2% of the vote in 2020 and lose everything?
tbh I think this is possibly the only chance on a majority govt, a lab-SNP coalition – other than that it’ll be a minority govt for either labour of the tories……
Strangely enough, I was being “sold” a pact between the SNP, Plaid, et al, today (by a Plaid supporter) with a list of things they were going to extract from Labour year on year. When I pointed out that 75% of the electorate of all parties did not want to have coalitions, she got quite upset! I think there is more support for a minority govt (which I think won’t be the case) with more free votes and minority parties voting however they want. If it comes to that.
the idea that SNP will be able to dictate terms to Labour has obviously taken hold in some quarters.
I’m with Florence on this one. I would not like to see any Labour SNP coalition either. Although I have believed in independence for most of my life, as long as Scotland is still in the UK the SNP should vote for what it believes on each and every individual issue. If all the parties do, I believe that, even if the Tories get in (which I sincerely hope they don’t), there will be a big enough combined vote to stop them wreaking any more havoc. As we’ve seen with the current lot, being given official power simply corrupts. All this scare-mongering of Salmond as Deputy PM to Milliband is just tosh.
Yeah – that’s never going to happen.