Labour leadership contender’s claim SNP are Tories shows she doesn’t understand Scotland – Kenny MacAskill

Labour leadership contender Emily Thornberry’s claim that the SNP are Tories in nationalist clothing is not borne out by the facts, writes Kenny MacAskill.

Emily Thornberry probably just got a bit carried away when she said she hates the SNP (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

I’ve never met Emily Thornberry but I’m sure she doesn’t really hate the SNP. That was simply unfortunate rhetoric used by her as she played to the gallery in a party hustings. It was crass of her as I’m sure she’s not someone who burns with hate.

It was, though, indicative of a deep ignorance of Scottish politics amongst the Labour leadership contenders.

That had already been displayed by Lisa Nandy with her comparison of Scotland with Catalonia. She’s entitled to defend the central state but failing to recollect, let alone condemn, police brutality and other democratic abuses is shameful.

Labour contenders are entitled to condemn the SNP even if their views can be simplistic and often false.

‘Labour left and good, SNP right and bad’ is baloney and not borne out by the facts. But long may it continue because it shows they’re failing to learn any lessons about why they have fallen so spectacularly from the grace they once held in Scotland.

During the 2014 referendum, I recall seeing north of England Labour activists out in a deprived part of my constituency.

They were bemused at the response they were receiving on the door. Far from warm, it was obviously not what they’d been led to believe.

What would have been rock solid-Labour in their home patch was solidly Yes and SNP.

I spoke to them and they confessed it wasn’t what they’d been told. They were misled, but Emily Thornberry is wilfully ignorant.