04 June 2006

Confidence and Supply... again?

The Sunday Herald is reporting that the Tories are willing to prop up a Labour minority government by voting for McConnell as FM, support Executive budgets and protect Labour in no-confidence votes in exchange for a couple of policy concessions and no formal Coalition. This has echoes of the SNP-Green chatter that appears to be manifesting itself, but its main purpose would be to prevent an SNP-led administration, on the grounds that Tory activists would prefer Labour to the SNP (I'm pretty sure I hinted at a possible Unionist alliance at the start of the year, well, here it is).

Also interesting is that, while mocking the Tories, the Labour spokesperson didn't say 'No'...

2 comments:

neil craig said...

We could see the fault line being support/opposition to new nuclear.

Alex Salmond is scathing about this in the Scotsman today but since his party constitutionaly refuses any deal with the Tories he really has no grounds for complaint. The SNP's new pro-Irish style growth position should fit well with a deal with the Tories - but you can only lead a horse to water.

Will said...

I suppose the big question is, "Have the Tories been rehabilitated yet?" If not, then Salmond is right, this could hurt Labour even more if they don't kill this idea off now.

And even if they have been, then the next question is, "Are Labour still as strong as they have been historically in Scotland?" If not, then the Tories could be punished unless they drop this idea.

Then there are the two parties' activists: I can see Constituency Labour Parties throughout the Central Belt having a collective fit about this. I can also see Tory activists being unhappy about propping Labour up, unless McConnell adopts a "Tartan Blairite" approach before May. That said, the main common ground that the two parties have is a hatred of the SNP, and that could be enough to swing it.

But only if the two parties have a combined total of 65+ in 11 months' time.