Sir Keir Starmer’s love-in with Margaret Thatcher proves Scotland is an afterthought to Labour – after senior figures once again confirmed their party has warmed to the former Prime Minister.
It follows senior Labour allies telling the FT that Sir Keir Starmer’s party are deliberately praising the woman who destroyed Scottish jobs and communities in the 1980s.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently vowed that a Labour government would deliver economic change similar to that of the Thatcher years, while the Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, described the former Prime Minister as a “visionary”.
Tommy Sheppard MP has said that Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to cosy up to Thatcher proves that “Labour do not need Scotland to win the general election, but Scotland needs SNP MPs at Westminster”.
Commenting, Tommy Sheppard MP said:
“The Labour love-in with Margaret Thatcher shows no sign of ending – in fact, it is deepening by the day.
“Months out from a general election, Labour has clearly come to praise Thatcher – not bury her policies in the past where they belong.
“Every senior Labour figure – including Sir Keir Starmer – has now praised the legacy of Margaret Thatcher.
“This is not a coincidence – it is a bizarre political strategy designed to outflank the Tories on the right.Â
“No party serious about winning seats in Scotland would evoke Thatcher’s horrific legacy, and it’s now plain to see that Labour’s general election pitch to Scotland is one of colossal job losses, democratic denial, and servile Scottish Labour MPs that won’t stand up for Scotland.
“Labour do not need Scotland to win a general election, but Scotland needs SNP MPs at Westminster to put Scotland’s interest first.
“Margaret Thatcher destroyed Scottish communities and jobs – we cannot let Westminster do that again.”