Political déjà vu
October 11, 2009 by David Torrance
I think it was Arthur James Balfour who declared that history doesn’t repeat itself, politicians merely repeat one another. Well there was a double does of political déjà vu this weekend from the SNP and Labour. First of all, First Minister Alex Salmond has said that a hung Parliament would be the best outcome of the next general election, maximizing SNP influence and ensuring that London, according to Salmond, could be ‘hung by a Scottish rope’ if no party wins a majority. The funny thing is, Salmond raised the same scenario in the run up to the 1987 general election, forging an alliance with Plaid Cymru and warning that he would want Ravenscraig protected in return for his party’s support. Labour, meanwhile, are also at it, reviving, yet again, the ‘Tartan Tory’ tag to present the Nationalists as Conservatives in disguise. Today the party launched its ‘Vote SNP, Get Tory’ campaign. ‘Everyone remembers what they did in 1979 to get the Tories into office,’ said Stirling MP Anne Maguire, ‘Now they are preparing to do the same again. Scotland will not be fooled.’ Full marks to both parties for lack of originality.
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