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Alex Salmond: Labour will pay the price 'for a generation' after campaigning with Conservatives in referendum Alex Salmond: Labour will pay the price 'for a generation' after campaigning with Conservatives in referendum
(35 minutes later)
Labour politicians in Scotland will pay the price "for a generation" for campaigning alongside Conservatives in the independence referendum, Alex Salmond has said. Labour can expect to pay the price “for a generation” for campaigning with the Conservatives in the Scottish referendum, Alex Salmond has said.
With opinion polls suggesting a collapse in the Labour vote in Scotland since the referendum in May, the outgoing SNP leader said there was deep resentment at the way the party had been prepared to bury its differences with the Tories to campaign for a No vote. The outgoing SNP leader told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that there was a “deep resentment” in Scotland at the way Labour was prepared bury its differences with the Tories in order to campaign for a ‘No’ vote in the referendum.
"The role, hand-in-glove, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Conservative Party in the referendum campaign is not going to be either forgotten or forgiven for a generation in Scottish politics," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show. He said: “The role, hand-in-glove, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Conservative Party in the referendum campaign is not going to be forgotten or forgiven for a generation in Scottish politics.
"Every single Labour personality who has been pictured in the referendum campaign in that pose - that hand-in-glove, shoulder-to-shoulder pose - will pay a heavy price for many years to come." “Every single Labour personality who has been pictured in the referendum campaign in that pose – that hand-in-glove, shoulder-to-shoulder pose – will pay a heavy price for many years to come,” he said.
Labour in Scotland is currently in turmoil following the resignation of the leader of the Scottish party Johann Lamont amid bitter recriminations. Mr Salmond’s comments come as opinion polls suggest Labour is set to lose the majority of its Westminster seats to the SNP, while the party itself is yet to elect a new leader following the resignation of Johann Lamont and her deputy Anas Sarwar.
While support for the SNP has surged since the referendum, recent opinion polls have suggested Labour could be left with just a handful of Scottish seats in Westminster after next year's general election, casting severe doubt Ed Miliband's chances of entering No 10. Jim Murphy, who launched his leadership campaign in Edinburgh on Saturday, is widely expected to take over as the Labour’s Scottish head. He resigned his position in the shadow cabinet as international development secretary on Sunday, stating that he wants to dedicate himself "full-time to changing Scotland and changing the Scottish Labour Party".
Mr Salmond was dismissive of the prospects that shadow international development secretary Jim Murphy - seen as the frontrunner to replace Ms Lamont - could restore the party's fortune. Mr Salmond was dismissive of the prospects that Mr Murphy could restore Labour’s fortune in Scotland on the programme.
He said that Mr Murphy had spent his entire political career at Westminster and never previously expressed any interest in Scottish constitutional development "except of course to try and stop it". He said that Mr Murphy had spent his entire political career at Westminster and never previously expressed any interest in Scottish constitutional development, “except of course to try and stop it”.
Despite his criticisms, he refused to rule out the possibility of the SNP joining a coalition with Labour in the event of another hung parliament at Westminster, although he acknowledged that the prospect was "unlikely". Jim Murphy launches his campaign in Edinburgh on Saturday Many believe Mr Murphy will step down from his constituency seat ahead of the general election next year, but senior Labour figures have told the Independent on Sunday they fear that his standing in a by-election before the 2016 Scottish election is too risky, meaning the party could soon have a Scottish leader who does not hold any elected office either in Westminster or Holyrood.
"Parties change sometimes, parties change their leaders sometimes, so we might get a different direction but I think that it's unlikely that the SNP would see itself in a Westminster coalition," he said. Despite Mr Salmond’s criticisms however, he refused to rule out the possibility of the SNP joining in a coalition with Labour in the event of another hung parliament at Westminster, but acknowledged that the prospect was “unlikely”.
Mr Salmond indicated that he was still considering whether to try to make a Westminster comeback at the general election. Mr Salmond indicated that he was still considering whether to try to make a Westminster comeback at the general election.
"I am going to make up my mind in a few weeks what I shall do," he said."I am going to make up my mind in a few weeks what I shall do," he said.
"The things I've said is I intend to continue in politics and I intend to continue to represent the people of the North East of Scotland if they wish to elect me.""The things I've said is I intend to continue in politics and I intend to continue to represent the people of the North East of Scotland if they wish to elect me."
Mr Salmond said that despite the No vote in the referendum in September, he believed that Scotland would eventually opt for independence and to leave the United Kingdom. Additional reporting by PA
"The destination is set, I think, but the number of stops along the way and the exact timetable - I think that is to be determined," he said.
"But the great thing is it will be actually determined by the Scottish people, not the views of any single politician."
PA