Andy Burnham robs SNP of ammunition by being constructive
Andy Burnham came across as reasonable and refused to attack the SNP - even when given the opportunity to hit back.
Andy Burnham’s speech in Lanarkshire was his first big event in Scotland since becoming Prime Minister in the summer.
He had already irked the SNP by holding the press conference while their annual conference is going on in Aberdeen.
But what will annoy them even more is that he has robbed them of ammunition by being constructive.
Unlike previous Prime Minister’s, he didn’t slag the SNP off. He didn’t even bite when given the chance.
He laughed off a question about their potential next leader Stephen Flynn saying that the FM is “living rent-free” in his head and that the SNP could “have you in their back pocket” after the next general election.
He also offered “a model of localised employment support, similar to the one in England, but obviously shaped by Holyrood and one that's right for Scotland.”
The Prime Minister said several times that he wants to “work together” with the Scottish Government - something which is completely alien to many folk in the SNP.
On devolution, Mr Burnham has made things difficult for John Swinney. He issued a direct challenge on Friday: “My message to John is simple, I want to push economic power out into the regions of Scotland, do you? Because if you do, let's agree on it.”
Even then, he was very reasonable about it, saying he was “not coming here to impose a model on Scotland. It's for Scotland to decide that - the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government.”
He was also keen to show that they there were no strings attached: “I’m not going to load up lots of impossible conditions because I want to make it work.”
This is a real difference from the days of Sir Keir Starmer, who would attack the SNP any time he came north of the border. This often helped them as they could claim to be standing up for Scotland against Westminster.
Mr Burnham’s approach suggests he understands why people moved from Labour to the Nationalists, and realises that “point scoring” is not effective at winning them back.
It presents a problem for Mr Swinney.
How can he argue against giving local communities more power? It is exactly what he and his party have been asking for - although at a Holyrood level rather than local - for years.
How can he argue with someone who agrees that the UK isn’t working for everyone and doesn’t want to fight with him?
It is hard to start fights with someone who is rational, and says they understand where you are coming from.
The Nationalists are all too aware of Andy Burnham’s popularity. A recent poll showed his approval ratings in Scotland are at +9, well above the First Minister on -19.
They also know that Labour’s terrible result in May was largely down to Sir Keir’s unpopularity - and that Labour always does better in Scotland when it is doing well down south.
It could cause issues for Mr Swinney at next year’s council elections, and the next general election.
But luckily for the SNP, there is no Holyrood election for another five years.
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