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  By G.A.Ponsonby
 
Labour’s anti-independence partnership with the Conservatives has damaged the party in Scotland, according to a new survey.
 
The Panelbase poll found that the number of people who believe joining the Tories in the Better Together campaign has caused harm to Labour, is almost double the number who believe there has been no damage.

The survey, commissioned by Newsnet Scotland, asked respondents for their view on Labour’s decision to join with the Conservatives in the three party Better Together alliance.

Asked “Which of the following comes closest to your own view on how (if at all) this partnership has affected the Labour Party?”

Respondents were given four possible options:

  • The Labour party has not been damaged by being associated with the Conservatives
  • The Labour party has been damaged a little by being associated with the Conservatives
  • The Labour party has been damaged a lot by being associated with the Conservatives
  • Don’t know

Less than a quarter of respondents (24%) said Labour had not been damaged, whilst 45% said they thought Labour had been harmed by the Tory alliance.  Of those who said they thought Johann Lamont’s party had been damaged, 22% thought Labour had been damaged a lot.

Thirty one per cent of respondents said they did not know if Labour had been damaged or not.

Excluding those who said they didn’t know, the results show two thirds (66%) believe Labour has been harmed, with only a third (34%) saying the party has not been damaged.

Further analysis of the survey found:

  • Almost half (48%) of Labour voters surveyed said they thought their party had been damaged
  • 62% of Labour voters who gave an answer felt the party had been damaged
  • 75% of undecided voters who gave an answer to the question believe it has damaged Labour
  • Only 40% of No voters think it has NOT damaged Labour

Some senior Labour figures are believed to be uncomfortable with the party being seen to be working alongside the Conservatives against independence. 

In January, Labour MP Jim Murphy [On left of image] – who has appeared alongside Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw [Second right] promoting Better Together – described the Conservative party as “poisonous”.

Labour launched its own anti-independence splinter group last May in a bid at appeasing some traditional Labour organisations who had expressed dismay at the party’s role in Better Together.

Headed by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, United with Labour is a Labour only campaign group which campaigns using similar themes to that of the Better Together alliance, which is headed by Labour MP Alistair Darling.  United with Labour’s slogan is, “Working Together, Stronger Together”.

However new regulations issued today by the Electoral Commission makes it clear that both the Yes and the No campaigns can have only one official lead campaign.

Comments  

 
#
RTP
2014-03-20 19:14

Something not mentioned in the Budget and would Lab reverse it.

New offshore tax measures criticised Drilling contractors warned the new tax rules would “render some UK projects uneconomic”


The UK government has been criticised over new tax rules affecting North Sea operators.

The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) claimed Budget changes over drilling rigs and accommodation vessels would cost firms an estimated £145m in the coming year.

The bareboat chartering tax changes follow a UK government consultation launched after the Autumn Statement.
 
 
#
Barbazenzero
2014-03-20 19:39

BBC now have a story on it – bbc.co.uk/…/… – with not a single mention of the Scottish Government or the referendum!
 

 
#
Clydebuilt
2014-03-20 19:56

See Martin Geissler on STV News at 10 interviewing ex-Labour voters in Glasgow.


Sometimes I think we give Better Together to much help. Let them TRY to work things out for themselves.
 
 
#
Massan_Gow
2014-03-20 21:16

Are Labour the ones in red or the ones in blue?

Looking at their policies I can’t tell which is which…
 
 
#
gandkar
2014-03-21 09:39

FMQ yesterday Lamentable puts her foot in it again!! How? She refers to the Old Etonian – Boris as a champion of the Living wage in London. Surely even she can see that the Super rich and just plain rich folks who live in London, and can afford to live in London, need the services of thousands of low paid workers to pander to their life styles. So what do Boris,s Etonian friends in Government do? Build a dormitory town of affordable housing for the low paid service personnel and call it EBBSFLEET. Ever so socially aware – sure!! Get real madam.
 
 
#
Breeks
2014-03-21 10:10

I believe there is a dictat from the Electoral Commission that both sides of the Debate, YES and NO, are only allowed one formal campaign organisation.
So within those constraints, the Better Together parties had to unite under one banner.
But therein lies the problem. YES has a strong positive image which ordinary people warm to, and which almost transcends politics to share new ideas and shake up stuffy outdated opinions.

Better Together have not invested anything like that in their banner image, but left it to idle as a lackluster flag of convenience for two squabbling political parties who transparently can only prosper by agitating ill feeling towards their opponents.

It would seem the sum of two negatives doesn’t always make a positive. They can’t even get that right.
 
 
#
Barbazenzero
2014-03-21 20:01

Dinwoodie in the Herald seems to be “getting it” at last with “Miliband schticks it to Salmond the bogeyman, but is that enough?” – heraldscotland.com/…/… for those with free views left.

Quoting Robbie Dinwoodie:

It’s easy to say, easier still to get a round of applause, but trickier to get across if your party introduced tuition fees, ordered the invasion of Iraq, wants to retain nuclear weapons and dared to coin the phrase, the “something for nothing” society.

….

In the real world it may be harder for Labour to destroy Salmond,and even harder to destroy what the SNP stands for which, in spite of all the claims to the contrary, is often, issue-by-issue well to the left of the party Tony Blair fashioned and possibly even that led by Miliband.

 
 
#
Corm
2014-03-21 22:37

O/T Veneto voted Yes; news.yahoo.com/…/
 

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