Like many others Paterson would like to see a Labour Government in the UK that is supported by a strong team of SNP MPs. If nothing else he believes it would help ensure promises made by the unionist parties during the referendum of more powers being devolved to Scotland are delivered in full.
Scotland has undergone a political transformation. An electorate, invigorated by the debate over whether their country should end its centuries old union with England, is re-evaluating old allegiances and it appears there are no more ‘safe seats’ leſt for Labour in Scotland.
Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University said: “Every Labour MP who is standing in Scotland is effectively fighting for their political career. I doubt they will lose all of their seats but the Labour Party cannot presume that any constituency is going to present them with a safe victory.
“The SNP is some 20 points ahead in the polls which means Labour will do well to hang on to just a handful of constituencies. But, if they can reduce that lead to about 10 points then they might keep around half of the 40 seats
Promoted by Peter Murrell on behalf of the Scottish National Party, both at 3 Jackson’s Entry, Edinburgh EH8 8PJ and printed by NEC Graph-Fix Ltd, 8 Fryers Road, Walsall WS2 7LZ
they hold at the moment, although there is litle evidence so far that they are making even the minimal progress required.” Previously the most number of MPs the SNP has ever been able to get elected to the British Parliament at any one time is 11 in 1974. Any more than that will be a record achievement and a major improvement on their current six seats.
Prof. Curtice said: “Even though the SNP lost the referendum they have positioned themselves as the party of social justice with the best chance to deliver the changes and powers that people want.
“Labour doesn’t look out for ordinary people anymore. All my family were Labour party supporters. My dad was and so was my granddad, but where has it got us? Labour has had 80 years to stand up for Scotland but the only time they are interested in what ordinary people have to say is during an election when they take our support for granted.
:Michael Paterson
“The folk who used to back Labour and are now voting SNP are on the leſt of Scotish politics. They have bought into the message of a more equal society and they now regard the SNP as being their best option to achieve it.
“The independence debate asked people to make a very big decision and it has leſt most realising that not only does politics mater but that they have a voice and can make a difference.”
In the last six months SNP membership has grown from 25,000 to more than 105,000. The party is now the third largest in Britain even though Scotland accounts for just 8.3 percent of the UK population.
The days of Labour frightening the deeply anti- Conservative electorate into believing a vote for the SNP inevitably means a Tory government has far less impact than it used to have, especially since Scots voted overwhelmingly for Labour in 1970, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 2010 but the Conservatives still took power.
Public confidence in the SNP has grown over the last seven years since the party first won power in the Scotish Parliamentary elections of 2007. Most
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