 | 'Mr Bill Butler, has already made clear his implacable opposition to voting reform and his firm intention to campaign against it. This leaves Labour in Anniesland asking Lib Dem supporters to vote for a candidate opposed to their own flagship policy.' Murray Ritchie and Robbie Dinwoodie in the Herald 21 st November 2000 |  |
In an extraordinary move which infuriated the Liberal Democrats, Labour put up posters and distributed leaflets from its candidates addressed to Lib Dem voters, asking them to switch loyalties. But the Lib Dems and the SNP pounced on the move as evidence of panic in Labour ranks as Thursday's vote looms in the supposedly safe Labour seat held until his sudden death by First Minister Donald Dewar.
Labour wooed the Lib Dem vote in the leafier areas of the constituency, praising the Scottish Executive's "achievements" in promoting Lib Dem polices including voting reform in local councils, a policy regarded by the junior coalition partners as fundamental to the partnership's survival.
But Labour's Holyrood candidate, Mr Bill Butler, has already made clear his implacable opposition to voting reform and his firm intention to campaign against it. This leaves Labour in Anniesland asking Lib Dem supporters to vote for a candidate opposed to their own flagship policy. One of the voters who received the Labour letter was Chris McGinty, the Lib Dem Westminster candidate.
Mr Butler and fellow Labour candidate John Robertson, fighting the Westminster seat, wrote to individual householders whom they suspected of being Lib Dem supporters saying: "We recognise you may not always support Labour . . . but if like us you want our politicians to work in partnership and get the best for people around here and for Scotland then we have an important message for you."
Their note went on to explain how Labour was committed to the "politics of partnership" and ended by saying they hoped voters realised that supporting Labour was the only sure way to prevent a Nationalist victory. Ms Judith Fryer, the Lib Dems' Holyrood candidate, expressed surprise at such an "unusual tactic" and accused Labour of panic. "Tactics like this show Labour are very worried about the evidence on the ground of increasing support for the Lib Dems." SNP deputy leader Roseanna Cunningham claimed there was strong movement towards the SNP in Anniesland, and this "panic measure" showed Labour was getting desperate.
The row overshadowed what should have been a day devoted to debate about pensioners and care of the elderly. SNP leader John Swinney accused First Minister Henry McLeish of backing away from his earlier strong hints that he wanted to implement the Sutherland report on care for the elderly in full. Mr Swinney accused Mr McLeish of bowing to interference from Chancellor Gordon Brown.
Mr McLeish had indicated he wanted to spend the necessary £100m on better care for the elderly, but it has become evident that his enthusiasm is not shared by the Chancellor.
Mr Brown dodged questions on the subject. On a visit to Glasgow he merely cited Labour's various measures in assisting pensioners, the jobless and local shipbuilding.
Labour did respond through Mr Butler, but he directed his remarks mainly at the Tories whose chairman, Michael Ancram, also entered the by-election with claims that Labour had broken a string of pledges on the care of the elderly. Mr Ancram promised pensioners an extra £9.50 a week under the Tories - £4.50 more than is on offer from Mr Brown. SNP Holyrood candidate Tom Chalmers rebuked Mr Brown for refusing even to discuss care of the elderly. "Gordon Brown had a responsibility to come clean on where London Labour stand on the vital issue of personal care costs. He treated the Anniesland electorate with contempt by his silence today, and that can only lead to the conclusion that he is against full implementation of Sutherland."
SNP Westminster candidate Grant Thoms said full implementation of Sutherland could have implications for the Social Security system - which is reserved to Westminster.
Earlier the Chancellor visited the BAE Systems yard in Scotstoun, which has just been awarded new Ministry of Defence orders. He said a vote for Labour was a vote for full employment and that unemployment in Anniesland had fallen below 10% for the first time since local records began.
"I first met Donald Dewar when we marched for jobs on the Clyde 30 years ago and I know he had a deep commitment to employment opportunities for all not only in Scotland, but also in his own Glasgow Anniesland constituency," he said, adding that job creation had cut youth unemployment by 73% in the constituency.
Last night, the Labour candidates infuriated opponents by boycotting a hustings in Drumchapel which would have been one of the few public meetings of the campaign.
Labour announced earlier in the day that the party would send "a representative" to the debate on stock transfers but that neither Holyrood candidate Bill Butler nor Westminster candidate John Robertson would be taking part. It was seen as the latest and most blatant attempt by Labour to prevent its candidates being dragged into debate with rivals.
* The by-elections turned nasty for senior Glasgow Labour councillor Alistair Watson yesterday when a small dog, believed to be a West Highland terrier, grabbed three of his fingers as he pushed a leaflet through a letterbox in the Blairdardie area. He had to go to hospital to have the wound dressed.
-Nov 21st
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