Second Quote of the day 18th September 2015
"My party chose to blow itself up"
(Alistair Darling on Radio 4 this morning.)
I understand the above comment was not a specific reference to the election of Jeremy Corbyn but the general conduct of Scottish Labour post-referendum.
However, what he did say about his new leader was:
"Jeremy Corbyn has won, he won overwhelmingly and he has a mandate. I know what he’s against but I’m not actually sure what he is for. And what I would say to him, if I had a conversation with him, is that he must know first impressions gained by the electorate, especially of a party leader, tend not to go away and less than week after he’s been elected, I think he needs to spell out where he stands on key issues – like the economy. Because if he doesn’t then frankly he’s never going to get off the ground."
and of Labour's position today
"I’m sure all clouds have a silver lining but I haven’t quite seen the silver lining here yet."
He also had an excellent response to the current Nationalist sabre rattling about a hypothetical second referendum and Alex Salmond's claims that the "omens" favour Scottish independence:
"He’s been saying that for the last 40 years. Look, we voted 12 months ago and the result was decisive. It was a 10 per cent majority. There is no appetite I think on the part of the Scottish public for another referendum anytime soon and indeed Nicola Sturgeon, now the First Minister, is in no hurry either because she will not call a referendum until she thinks she can win it. And she knows she can’t."
More information about Alistair Darling's Today programme interview including an option to listen to it available at the Spectator here.
(Alistair Darling on Radio 4 this morning.)
I understand the above comment was not a specific reference to the election of Jeremy Corbyn but the general conduct of Scottish Labour post-referendum.
However, what he did say about his new leader was:
"Jeremy Corbyn has won, he won overwhelmingly and he has a mandate. I know what he’s against but I’m not actually sure what he is for. And what I would say to him, if I had a conversation with him, is that he must know first impressions gained by the electorate, especially of a party leader, tend not to go away and less than week after he’s been elected, I think he needs to spell out where he stands on key issues – like the economy. Because if he doesn’t then frankly he’s never going to get off the ground."
and of Labour's position today
"I’m sure all clouds have a silver lining but I haven’t quite seen the silver lining here yet."
He also had an excellent response to the current Nationalist sabre rattling about a hypothetical second referendum and Alex Salmond's claims that the "omens" favour Scottish independence:
"He’s been saying that for the last 40 years. Look, we voted 12 months ago and the result was decisive. It was a 10 per cent majority. There is no appetite I think on the part of the Scottish public for another referendum anytime soon and indeed Nicola Sturgeon, now the First Minister, is in no hurry either because she will not call a referendum until she thinks she can win it. And she knows she can’t."
More information about Alistair Darling's Today programme interview including an option to listen to it available at the Spectator here.
Comments
But for once Alister Darling has nailed it. The talk and speculation of a Leave vote in 2017 triggering a second scottish referendum is just FUD. Its nothing more, its nothing less.
It should have no direct input on the 2017 vote, (for example UK Union supports voting STAY for fear of breaking up the UK, or from Scottish EU supporters who want independence from the UK, voting LEAVE in order to get a second referendum on scotland)
it really is just FUD, It wont "automatically trigger" a second scottish referendum, and even it did, which it wont, but even if it did its more likely to end with Scotland remaining part of the UK