Mridan » Travelogue Entry » Sturgeon tries to rain on McConnell’s parade with unions but ‘gatecrash’ backfires

Sturgeon tries to rain on McConnell’s parade with unions but ‘gatecrash’ backfires

THE Scottish National Party suffered a significant knockback yesterday after a failed attempt to grab the trade-union vote from under the nose of Labour.

Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy leader of the SNP, swept into the annual meeting of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, although she was not invited to address delegates.

Her visit was timed to follow a keynote speech by Jack McConnell, the First Minister, thereby taking attention away from his message. In a tour of stalls, she claimed the SNP is gaining ground with the trade unions because of disillusionment with the Iraq war and the party’s stance against Trident’s replacement.

However, in a humiliating swipe, Grahame Smith, the general-secretary of the STUC, said he was not even aware of Ms Sturgeon’s visit.

He said: “Nicola Sturgeon did not even have the courtesy to tell me she was coming. I am not bothered she has come - political parties are welcome - but it would be good if they came along and paid attention to everything we are saying, not because there could be party-political advantage.”

Earlier the STUC, which represents more than 600,000 workers in Scotland, had voted overwhelmingly to reject independence.

Mr Smith said independence would leave Scotland with unmanageable debt and the uncertainty of a referendum would adversely affect the economy. However, he hinted the organisation may well vote in favour of considering more powers for the Scottish Parliament in a debate today. He said: “Devolution has been a success, but that does not mean we want to sit back on our laurels. We are putting forward other policies, propositions.”

Mr Smith went on to say the STUC is against the SNP’s major policy of local income tax because of fears it is unfair.

Earlier, Mr McConnell likened local income tax to the poll tax.

He reassured the unions of Labour’s dedication to a “more fair” system of local taxation based on property. He said: “The council tax is not perfect - few taxation systems are. But I believe in progressive taxation, and without a tax on property the wealthiest get off scot-free.”

Mr McConnell also attacked the SNP’s priority of independence as “the wrong values for Scotland”.

But Ms Sturgeon said she would stick to a positive campaign. She said: “I leave it to the First Minister to campaign in the gutter if he wants to. The SNP has chimed with the trade-union movement because of our policies such as offering an alternative to PFI [private finance initiative].”