SNP’s reliance on being anti-Tory only insults voters ahead of May 5 - Brian Wilson

Rather oddly, the SNP’s “local election broadcast” had nothing to do with local elections.

Instead, an actor wandered through countryside saying uncomplimentary things about the Tories, none of them related to devolved powers far less local government.

I suppose the aim was to position the Nationalists as the “anti-Tory” party - an opposition rather than a government - on the assumption that this should be enough to see them through these elections.

A poll suggested that 52 per cent of Scottish voters would consider giving one of three preference votes to Labour, as opposed to 27 per cent for the Tories. That, I guess, is the key to that broadcast. Their “anti-Tory” attack is not aimed at Tories but at shoring up oppositionist status among their soft support.

Voters in Edinburgh in 2021. The SNP should have courage to debate the issues surrounding local government, rather than relying on anti-Tory messaging, writes Brian Wilson. PIC: PA.

But does such calculation not hold both the electorate and Scottish local government in contempt? Is it not reasonable to expect that Scotland’s party of government, responsible for the harsh financial treatment of councils over 14 years, should have the courage to engage in arguments rather than ignore them?

Council elections are not only about what you’re against. They are about the education of our children, the maintenance of decent public services, the cleanliness of our local environments … none of which benefit from cuts which have run at more than three times anything the Scottish Government has itself endured.

No wonder they run away from scrutiny and prefer to rely on an actor voicing a script that does not contain a single word of relevance to the work of Scottish local government.

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