Labour: Out of touch

AS WE continue to fight our way through the myriad of the 'Labour Line' on a referendum, Gordon Brown and Douglas Alexander have further obfuscated where the party stands on an independence plebiscite.

This is the thing I don't get about the Prime Minister. He supported changes to cannabis because "they were popular with the public". He has also said the same thing about detaining a suspect for 42-Days without trial. It would therefore appear that if the government's legislation is popular - although at times deeply flawed - it is worth passing into law.

Not always the case though is it?

How about the 75% of people who supported a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty? What about the 64% of Scots who support having a referendum on independence? Nope, not according to the Prime Minister as he has "not been convinced" that the people of Scotland want a vote. Brown also used that phrase "the common interest" as if he - and only the Prime Minister - knows what it means. Not so.

If polls are to be believed, the Prime Minister is completely out of step with what the people of Scotland want. Furthermore, Brown's claims that he'll do "anything" to defend the Union means that he'll only continue to ignore demands for a referendum and only exacerbate the problem. I've already stated on this blog that I admire Wendy Alexander for taking the fight to the SNP, something that the Prime Minister is clearly petrified of doing. Brown repeatedly states that it's in Scotland's interests to remain within the Union. Why? I hear nothing except from the tired "better together than apart" nonsense.

Finally, the Labour Party appear to be dead set on lying about the SNP's election manifesto.

"The SNP were elected under a manifesto of having a referendum but they've made very clear in their response to what Wendy's said this week that they have no intention of bringing forward a referendum until they've fermented more grudge and grievance."

Firstly, not only do I feel like vomitting every time I hear Douglas Alexander accusing the SNP of breaking a manifesto commitment on having a referendum (see page 84) but the SNP state - quite unequivocally - on pages 8 and 15 of their manifesto that they would hold a referendum in 2010. This isn't breaking a manifesto commitment, but honouring one. I'm also somewhat concerned that Alexander should suggest that the people of Scotland who want a referendum do so based on "grudge" and "grievance". Shame on you. I also don't know if 'Mini Me' has checked the polls of late, but Scottish Labour certainly don't appear to represent the interests of the Scottish people.

Is that what Labour did when they gave the people a vote on devolution in the North of England? I forgot, Labour will only grant people a referendum when they think they can win.

Finally, Wendy's claim that she called for a referendum to "call the SNP's bluff" may well have been the case. But to call someone's bluff, do you do so with the intention of admitting it? I can imagine how that strategy would work in poker.