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Fear and loathing on the Scottish campaign trail - it’s Labour’s turn next Fear and loathing on the Scottish campaign trail - it’s Labour’s turn next
(35 minutes later)
Banks and other corporate giants warning that the roof will cave in; a near-hysterical media that leaves broad swaths of public opinion ignored – if the Labour leadership wants to know what to expect in the runup to next year’s election, they should regard the establishment campaign against Scottish independence as a foretaste of what is to come. But therein lies the problem, of course. Labour’s leaders have cheered on this campaign, and will be reminded of this fact at every opportunity when they complain of “scaremongering” when the same strategy is directed at them in the spring months of 2015.Banks and other corporate giants warning that the roof will cave in; a near-hysterical media that leaves broad swaths of public opinion ignored – if the Labour leadership wants to know what to expect in the runup to next year’s election, they should regard the establishment campaign against Scottish independence as a foretaste of what is to come. But therein lies the problem, of course. Labour’s leaders have cheered on this campaign, and will be reminded of this fact at every opportunity when they complain of “scaremongering” when the same strategy is directed at them in the spring months of 2015.
This is not a comment on how Scots should vote tomorrow. There are those of us inspired by the common traditions of Scots, Welsh and English people as they fought the powerful together, winning rights and social gains in the face of determined opposition from the upper crust of society. Rupert Murdoch – whose media organs can be expected to play a decisive role in next year’s “get Labour” campaign – has been decidedly sympathetic towards Alex Salmond and the cause of independence. The SNP vision of independence – economic subordination to England and a “race-to-the-bottom” in cutting corporation tax – is one unsurprisingly embraced by business tycoons such as Stagecoach’s Brian Souter. But that’s beside the point. The Scottish people have the basic right to determine their own future without being subjected to a campaign of fear.This is not a comment on how Scots should vote tomorrow. There are those of us inspired by the common traditions of Scots, Welsh and English people as they fought the powerful together, winning rights and social gains in the face of determined opposition from the upper crust of society. Rupert Murdoch – whose media organs can be expected to play a decisive role in next year’s “get Labour” campaign – has been decidedly sympathetic towards Alex Salmond and the cause of independence. The SNP vision of independence – economic subordination to England and a “race-to-the-bottom” in cutting corporation tax – is one unsurprisingly embraced by business tycoons such as Stagecoach’s Brian Souter. But that’s beside the point. The Scottish people have the basic right to determine their own future without being subjected to a campaign of fear.
It is a campaign openly orchestrated by No 10, which has been busy coordinating statements from its big business friends. Supermarket prices will rise, Scotland’s voters are told. Banks will flee. Bills for mobile phones, mobiles, stamps – you name it – will all surge. The defence is straightforward. Hold on a minute: why shouldn’t businesses speak out – however much they are coordinated by the British government – about the costs of Scottish independence? When Labour confronts a deluge of doomsday warnings from big businesses, resistant as they are to the most timid challenges to their profits and power, this will be the same defence mounted. Why shouldn’t businesses warn voters of the costs and realities of a Labour government? It will be an assault on democracy from a shamelessly self-interested economic elite disguising its attempt to defend its own interests as a selfless attempt to educate the electorate.It is a campaign openly orchestrated by No 10, which has been busy coordinating statements from its big business friends. Supermarket prices will rise, Scotland’s voters are told. Banks will flee. Bills for mobile phones, mobiles, stamps – you name it – will all surge. The defence is straightforward. Hold on a minute: why shouldn’t businesses speak out – however much they are coordinated by the British government – about the costs of Scottish independence? When Labour confronts a deluge of doomsday warnings from big businesses, resistant as they are to the most timid challenges to their profits and power, this will be the same defence mounted. Why shouldn’t businesses warn voters of the costs and realities of a Labour government? It will be an assault on democracy from a shamelessly self-interested economic elite disguising its attempt to defend its own interests as a selfless attempt to educate the electorate.
The same goes for the media campaign. Britain’s media moguls and editors often like to present themselves as the voice of their readers. This is a straightforward lie. At the last election, the vast majority of newspapers by readership pledged themselves to a Conservative party that can claim the loyalty of only an increasingly small minority of the British electorate. And so in the Scottish referendum – as George Monbiot writes – only one Scottish newspaper supports independence, even though around half of all Scots want an independent country. As the hardline Conservative activist and writer Tim Montgomerie noted last night: “The Daily Mail throws all that it has against Alex Salmond ... (as it will against Miliband).” He is absolutely right. They already dipped their toes in the water with the smear against Miliband’s father. That may have been overreach on their part. But most of the British media have long decided that they will never accept the prospect of Ed Miliband as prime minister. Following on from this campaign against Scottish independence, they will subject Labour to perhaps the dirtiest electoral campaign in history. The same goes for the media campaign. Britain’s media moguls and editors often like to present themselves as the voice of their readers. This is a straightforward lie. At the last election, the vast majority of national newspapers pledged themselves to a Conservative party that can claim the loyalty of only an increasingly small minority of the British electorate. And so in the Scottish referendum – as George Monbiot writes – only one Scottish newspaper supports independence, even though around half of all Scots want an independent country. As the hardline Conservative activist and writer Tim Montgomerie noted last night: “The Daily Mail throws all that it has against Alex Salmond ... (as it will against Miliband).” He is absolutely right. They already dipped their toes in the water with the smear against Miliband’s father. That may have been overreach on their part. But most of the British media have long decided that they will never accept the prospect of Ed Miliband as prime minister. Following on from this campaign against Scottish independence, they will subject Labour to perhaps the dirtiest electoral campaign in history.
Another foretaste of what is to come was the campaign against Nick Clegg in 2010. A disclaimer: there are few more ardent opponents of the Liberal Democrats than myself. But as Cleggmania swept the nation before the last election, the media identified the Lib Dems as the key obstacle to the Tories winning the majority they so craved. As the Mail on Sunday put it: “His wife is Spanish, his mother Dutch, his father half-Russian and his spin doctor German. Is there ANYTHING British about Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg?” An old Guardian column penned by Clegg was twisted into Nick Clegg in Nazi slur on Britain by the Daily Mail. And so on.Another foretaste of what is to come was the campaign against Nick Clegg in 2010. A disclaimer: there are few more ardent opponents of the Liberal Democrats than myself. But as Cleggmania swept the nation before the last election, the media identified the Lib Dems as the key obstacle to the Tories winning the majority they so craved. As the Mail on Sunday put it: “His wife is Spanish, his mother Dutch, his father half-Russian and his spin doctor German. Is there ANYTHING British about Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg?” An old Guardian column penned by Clegg was twisted into Nick Clegg in Nazi slur on Britain by the Daily Mail. And so on.
Dirty, mean stuff from much of the British media. Labour will suffer the same fate next year. But with its leaders so gleefully complicit in the same sort of campaign in Scotland, they may find it rather difficult to maintain the moral high ground next May.Dirty, mean stuff from much of the British media. Labour will suffer the same fate next year. But with its leaders so gleefully complicit in the same sort of campaign in Scotland, they may find it rather difficult to maintain the moral high ground next May.