Scottish Labour's Right turn?

[afleitch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-19711805

'Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont has questioned universal benefits which sees rich people receiving tuition fees and prescriptions for free.

In a speech to party members in Edinburgh she said it was time to end a "something for nothing" culture.

She added that First Minister Alex Salmond was passing the buck to already stretched local governments.

But the nationalists accused Labour of having no policies of its own to bring to the table.

Ms Lamont insisted that the SNP had a vision for Scotland "all on the never never."'

Lamont has targeted 'freebies'; the policy planks that make Scotland a little different such a (almost) free tuition, travel for pensioners and residential care all policies which Labour trumpted in 2007 and again in 2011 as 'their legacy' while also condemning the council tax freeze and free prescriptions. It's a bold move; many of these programmes are unaffordable however attacking the SNP by opposing their most popular policies is an interesting and potentially difficult move.

[MaxQue]

Awful.

So, Scottish people can choose between Nationalists, Tories in blue, Tories in yellow and Tories in red?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Awful.

So, Scottish people can choose between Nationalists, Tories in blue, Tories in yellow and Tories in red?

As a Québecois, you must know how it feels, right?

[MaxQue]

Awful.

So, Scottish people can choose between Nationalists, Tories in blue, Tories in yellow and Tories in red?

As a Québecois, you must know how it feels, right?

Well, we have nationalist socialists, nationalist social-democrats, right-wing corrupt federalists and right-wing non-corrupt federalists.

Surprisingly, the PQ government is quite to the left.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Ugh. "Social Democracy" marches on.

[You kip if you want to...]

ScotsLab are a bunch of incompetents, that's common knowledge. (Get Jim Murphy in for leader!)

But, it's an interesting strategy. The SNP's success has been bred on hoovering up support from mostly traditional Tories and LibDems. With separation being the wedge issue here, maybe Labour are hoping that they can look, to Tory voters, like the saviours of Scotland with some appealing policies (for them) to reel them in to stop Alex "FREEEEEEEDOM" Salmond from being reelected and crazy Nicola eventually becoming FM.

ScotsLab took officially took more independence from the national party a few years ago if I remember rightly, so things like this aren't shocking.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

One reason why 2011 went so badly for them was the fact that they weren't really offering anything different to the SNP (of course this was actually a conscious choice to a point - really, really stupid idea that one), which helped to focus even more attention on the contrast between Salmon and Grey. And it happens that some 'freebies' can certainly be questioned on social democratic grounds (free university tuition for Scottish/non British EU students, given the wider context within which the Scottish system is embedded, is a case in point. I don't think attacking free prescriptions makes any sense though, at least not from that point of view) as can the freeze on council tax (which is part of the general centralising mania of the SNP - something that Labour should certainly make a bigger point of opposing than they have done so far). Trouble is, such things are popular, especially with the sort of people who vote in low turnout elections. Because they're the ones who benefit.

Still, at least they're thinking, which is a start.

[bore]

I don't think there is any doubt this is a bad political idea because in quite a few cases these policies were the only reason people voted SNP, sort of like the tories attacking labour on starting up the NHS, although it is sort of good to see Scottish Labour are actually focusing on Scottish issues, as opposed to just repeating the UK parties talking points.

On a more philosophical level, I have very little objection to the state providing services (like healthcare, education etc) to the rich without charge, partly because its good for society, and also because it doesn't cost, in the grand scheme of things, very much. But I draw the line at pure monetary things, like child benefit and winter fuel allowance where there is no reason to subsidize the rich. Also I'll say the council tax freeze is something which I really don't like the idea of, because I don't think, as far as possible, the national government should be telling councils what to do.

[Peter the Lefty]

Wow.  This is a horrible idea.  Aren't they aware that even if they succeed in getting the SNP's base with this right turn, it'll mean that their OWN base will just go and support some other left-of-center party, like, I dunno, maybe the SNP? 

[RogueBeaver]

Interesting. Though she probably didn't explicitly use the words "means-testing."