LABOUR STILL FAIL TO CATEGORICALLY RULE OUT COALITION WITH TORIES

For immediate use: Monday 4th October 2010

 

Attn: NEWSDESKS

       POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS

 

PARLIAMENTARY VOTES & COUNCILS SHOW VOTERS CAN’T TRUST A WORD THEY SAY

 

ANOTHER BLUNDER FOR JOHN PARK

 

Commenting on the latest reports about possible coalitions following next year’s Scottish Parliament elections the SNP’s Deputy Whip Angela Constance MSP highlighted how Labour had still failed to categorically rule out a coalition with the Tories despite their rhetoric.

 

Ms Constance also highlighted how Labour couldn’t be trusted on the issue since they had voted with the Tories most in the Scottish Parliament since 2007 and also had coalitions with them in five councils – compared to ZERO for the SNP.

 

She also said an attack by Labour’s John Park was a blunder since in June this year he was actually highlighting the similarities between the SNP and Labour in contrast to the Tory/LibDem Coalition government.

 

Commenting Ms Constance said:

 

"There is no possibility whatsoever of a coalition deal between the SNP and the Tories at Holyrood now or in the future.

 

“However the same cannot be said for the Labour party who have failed to categorically rule out any coalition deal with the Tories.  

 

“What’s more, the SNP are the only major party to have an explicit bar on any coalition deal with the Tories at Holyrood – Labour and the Lib-Dems don’t. A question Labour has to answer is ‘why not’?

 

“The fact is that Labour have voted with the Tories more at Holyrood and have been in alliance on major issues like Trident, the Iraq war and the private finance initiative. They are also in coalition with them on five councils compared to none for the SNP.    

 

“This idea is total nonsense and John Park seems to have two different opinions about the SNP judging by his remarks in June. But since he can't even get the membership numbers of the Labour party right why should anyone trust a word he or the Labour party says? They really believe they can take voters for fools.

     

“The SNP will fight to win the election based on our strong record in government and the prospect we offer of an alternative to a decade of cuts from the Westminster Parties.”

 

ENDS

 

Notes

 

1. How often parties have voted with the Tories in the Scottish Parliament since May 2007:

 

Labour - 46%

SNP - 45%

LibDem - 43%

Green - 32%

Margo - 28%

 

2. The five councils in Scotland where Labour are in coalition with the Tories:

 

Angus Council | Angus Alliance (Independent minus one, Tory, LibDem, Labour)  

 

East Dunbartonshire Council | Labour / Tory Coalition   

 

Falkirk Council | Labour / Tory / Independent Coalition   

 

Inverclyde Council | Labour / Tory / Independent Coalition

 

South Lanarkshire Council | Labour / Tory Coalition

 

Source: http://www.cosla.gov.uk/political_control.asp?leftId=10001E18E-10766746&rightId=10001E18E-11002366&hybrid=false

 

3. In June John Park was actually highlighting the similarities between the SNP and Labour in contrast to the Tory/LibDem Coalition government:

   

"This is all going to lead to a different approach north and south of the border. In Scotland, the two main parties [SNP and Labour] share the same basic belief in the role of the state in terms of state provision."

 

http://news.scotsman.com/politics/The-Hidden-Agenda-Could-what.6372921.jp