Scottish Labour MPs are telling voters on the doorstep that they will not do a post-election deal with the SNP — despite the leadership still failing to rule out the move definitively.
The Times has learnt that candidates are unilaterally adopting a more hardline stance than the leadership because they fear that voters will desert them for other unionist parties.
They are understood to be frustrated that the message that there will be no deal — which they believe is the leadership’s true position — is not hitting home.
However, sources close to Jim Murphy, the Scottish Labour leader, have suggested that Labour’s position is more nuanced, in that the party is not planning for, and does not want, a deal. They said this would not change before the election on May 7.
It is understood that Mr Murphy wants to entice west of Scotland voters who backed independence to return to his party and is concerned that going on the attack against the SNP would turn off swing voters.
Advertisement
His position contrasts with that of MPs in constituencies where the “no” vote was stronger. They believe that if Mr Murphy does not act they could lose votes to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Last night a Scottish Labour MP said: “Labour MPs on the doorstep are saying, ‘If you vote for us we won’t do a deal with the SNP.’ The group are united. We won’t do a deal with the SNP.
“That’s why we are united. I’m not aware of a colleague who is advocating against that position.”
They said that the issue was being raised by former Lib Dem and Tory voters who were considering switching to Labour but were wary of the party getting into bed with the SNP.
The source claimed that the hardline stance taken by the MPs was not evidence of a split in the ranks. They said that the prevailing belief was that the leadership had already made clear that they would not do a deal and the only problem was that the message was not getting through.
Advertisement
Mr Murphy is said to believe that a definitive rejection of any co-operation risks allowing the nationalists to accuse Labour of ignoring voters’ wishes. He used his Scottish conference speech in Edinburgh at the weekend to reach out to “yes” supporters and attempt to charm them back to Labour, saying that he understood why they had concerns.
However, shadow cabinet ministers representing English seats want Labour to go farther before the poll. One said: “I think it’s inevitable that we will have to toughen the language, although I accept timing is critical.”
Another said that Mr Miliband should settle the question as soon as possible. “We are never going to do a deal with the SNP after the election — we should just say so.”
There is a feeling among some in the north of England that their constituents would not stomach the further constitutional concessions that the nationalists would extract in a deal.
A Labour source said: “They have had to stomach so much in the last few years. I can’t imagine any of them will rush into the arms of the SNP if it means further erosion of the Labour movement. They are not unaware of the implications of Scotland preparing to get a better deal than their electorate.”
Advertisement
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, the former Labour MP, said on Twitter: “Every Labour MP & Peer to whom I’ve spoken thinks we should rule out any kind of deal with the SNP. What are we waiting for?”
The Conservatives have sought to play on the concerns of those English voters with an advertising campaign showing Ed Miliband in the pocket of Alex Salmond. Lynton Crosby, the Tory election chief, brought forward the release of the M&C Saatchi-designed posters to capitalise on Mr Miliband’s woes over a deal with the SNP.