'Maybe people don't like honesty after all': Scottish Secretary responds to Labour's poor polling

The Scottish Secretary said his party had always been upfront about the challenges facing the economy

The Scottish Secretary has suggested the public “don’t like honesty after all” after being asked about poor polling results for Labour.

Ian Murray said his party had always been upfront about the difficult economic circumstances facing the country. It came as a new poll showed the SNP on course to remain comfortably the largest party in Holyrood.

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Scottish Secretary Ian MurrayScottish Secretary Ian Murray
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray | PA

Sir John Curtice, the polling expert, said the prospect of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar becoming the next first minister had “diminished markedly” since the general election in July.

Asked about the poor polling for his party, Mr Murray said: “I think it’s indicative of how difficult the circumstances are. We’ve had to make some pretty difficult decisions that are unpopular.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) has been forthright about the state of the UK economyChancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) has been forthright about the state of the UK economy
Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) has been forthright about the state of the UK economy | NationalWorld

“No government wants to make unpopular and difficult decisions. But we were forced into that, both with the [financial] inheritance we knew about and the inheritance we didn’t know about. That has been difficult.”

The UK Labour government has faced criticism over its decision to cut the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners, as well as increasing employer National Insurance contributions.

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“The inheritance has been really difficult,” Mr Murray said. “The economic situation has been difficult. It’s really difficult to turn around the low growth, high tax, high inflation economy in a few months.

“We were honest with the public back in July that it would be tough. Maybe the public don’t like honesty after all. But it has been tough.”

Sir Keir StarmerSir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer | Pa

The senior minister said the economic situation was hopefully beginning to turn around, adding: “We had to fix the foundations. That was always going to be difficult. There were always going to be polling repercussions to that. We could sit here all day discussing polls.

“It’s one poll, and we need to start delivering as a government and show that delivery, and that’s what the Budget was all about.”

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The Survation poll for the Holyrood Sources podcast and True North Advisers puts the SNP on 53 seats at Holyrood, ahead of second-placed Labour on 24.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives and Reform are in joint third place on 15 seats each, the Liberal Democrats on 12, and the Scottish Greens on ten.

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