Glasgow Anniesland By-elections 2000

'The people of Anniesland can't trust New Labour and clearly they can't trust the New Labour candidate to stand up for what he has always claimed to believe in' SNP Deputy leader, Roseanna Cunninghame MP MSP, 7 th November 2000.

Labour candidate quizzed on his socialist principles

By Robbie Dinwoodie in the Herald 8 th November 2000

Mr Bill Butler, convener of the Campaign for Socialism, found himself under scrutiny over both these policies which had been seen as anathema to the Left.

Speaking at the joint launch of his campaign and that of the Westminster candidate John Robertson in the twin by-elections prompted by the death of First Minister Donald Dewar, Mr Butler spoke of his "20 years at the chalk-face" as a teacher and welcomed the new schools being built or refurbished in the constituency.

Pressed on the fact that this work would be done using private finance, he said: "I think it is an excellent programme. It is best value. I had no problems about voting for that at all," adding: "The Campaign for Socialism position is quite clear. We are in favour of best value."

He also defended council house stock transfers, saying he was "absolutely for it with the proper safeguards built in to support them". He also sidestepped questions on his resolute opposition to the extension of proportional representation.

Mr Butler, who is the husband of deputy Presiding Officer Patricia Ferguson, came out with the best quip of the day: "I am not New Labour. I am not Old Labour. I am middle-aged Labour."

In a launch which was calculated to extract as much sympathy as possible from the memory of the late First Minister, he also said: "We cannot fill his shoes, but we can follow in his footsteps."

Mr Robertson, who was Donald Dewar's election agent, spoke of his initial reluctance to succeed him as Westminster candidate.

He claimed that benefits for the unemployed and the elderly were now filtering through and argued: "Labour is tackling Anniesland's problems, but we are doing so through the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the UK Parliament in Westminster."

The two candidates were flanked by First Minister Henry McLeish, who described them as "Anniesland men through and through" and by Scottish Minister of State Brian Wilson, who said they would "carry on Donald's work".

The four were forced to field questions about the £44m previously earmarked for Health Board spending which was now to taken from the health budget and used instead to cut council house debt as part of the Glasgow stock transfer.

"It is terribly old-fashioned to worry which compartment money comes out of," insisted Mr Wilson.

SNP Deputy Leader Roseanna Cunningham was scathing about Mr Butler's conversion to New Labour orthodoxy.

"This former critic of his own party's policy has now endorsed every one of New Labour's damaging policies and U-turned on his own previous beliefs," she said.

"The people of Anniesland can't trust New Labour and clearly they can't trust the New Labour candidate to stand up for what he has always claimed to believe in."

Leading Campaign for Socialism supporter John McAllion last night said the group founded to combat the repeal of Clause Four of Labour's constitution was an umbrella organisation which contained varied views, and he conceded: "Being a by-election candidate restricts your freedom to manoeuvre."

- Nov 8