LESLEY Riddoch has called out Labour for claiming the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election represents a “seismic shift” in UK politics while simultaneously ignoring sustained democratic mandates for a second independence referendum.
During an appearance on BBC’s Debate Night the journalist and National columnist said the Labour Party could find itself in a difficult position if it wanted to rollout constitutional change in the north of England but continue to ignore calls for Scottish independence.
She said: “It’s going to be very difficult for Labour, if they become the next government, to explain how they might actually get to the stage they’re talking about [with] devolution – but it means to English towns.
“Which is fine, everybody needs more power. But if they begin to tackle some of the really difficult problems that exist in England - like the complete lack of any power for the northern mayors who have got powers individually but no structural power in their grasp – they might need to have a referendum on that like they had back in John Prescott’s days.
“What about the mandates that we’ve had for dear knows how long, those things still exist”@Lesleyriddoch says Labour can't claim they have a mandate following a low-turnout by-election, while denying the SNP's mandate for another referendum #bbcdn https://t.co/pewAW23OAB pic.twitter.com/G6V3XzDxpe
— BBC Debate Night (@bbcdebatenight) October 11, 2023
“Well, how do you get that you can actually rollout change like that, constitutional change, and, hello, Scotland that’s been voting a certain way, whether you agree with it or not, that’s a mandate.
“If you can extrapolate from one by-election that you now have a mandate to say there’s been a seismic shift in UK politics, what about the mandates for the last dear knows how long? Those things still exist.”
She added, pointing towards Labour MSP Jackie Baillie and Scotland Office minister Malcolm Offord who were also on the programme: “I don’t know if the day of the referendum is dead.
“But if it is, shame on all the Unionist parties that have blocked it because that is not playing ball democratically.
“And that could be another reason why people sat at home in the Rutherglen by-election, because they are scunnered that they’ve no way to move forward if, like me, they support independence.”
Riddoch then highlighted why she felt Scots should be sceptical about how much democratic power was being expressed in the country during a General Election.
“There’s only four occasions since 1918 when Scottish seats have made any difference to the outcome of a UK General Election, " she said.
“General Elections are won or lost on English votes because they’re the largest constituency in these islands. That won’t change until Scots decide they want all the control over this country all of the time, not just five years.”
You can read Lesley Riddoch's column on what Keir Starmer's Labour Party offers - or fails to offer - in Scotland HERE.
