No SNP seat is safe from Labour, warns Murray

The SNP conference kicks off on Sunday in Aberdeen.

The shadow Scottish Secretary spoke ahead of the SNP conference in Aberdeen (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary said no SNP seat is safe from his party at the next election.

Speaking as the SNP conference is due to kick off in Aberdeen, Ian Murray hit out at the party’s Westminster group, accusing members of “fighting like ferrets in a sack”.

His comments come days after MP Lisa Cameron left the SNP for the Tories, while Angus MacNeil quit in August.

Labour are also riding high after the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, which candidate Michael Shanks won with more than twice the SNP vote.

Although the SNP has stressed the impact of different factors in the loss, including the actions of Margaret Ferrier – who was kicked out of the party after breaching Covid laws and subsequently vacated the seat after a recall petition – the police investigation into the SNP’s finances and the collapse of the Tory vote.

Mr Murray said: “Communities across Scotland are being failed by complacent and out-of-touch SNP MPs, who are fighting like ferrets in a sack instead of representing Scotland’s interests.

The SNP group – or what is left of it after a defection to the Tories – has become distracted, divided and woefully disconnected from Scotland’s priorities

Ian Murray

“When people across Scotland were crying out for help with the cost-of-living crisis, SNP politicians couldn’t even bring themselves to back Labour’s calls for a windfall tax on the obscene profits of oil and gas giants.

“The SNP group – or what is left of it after a defection to the Tories – has become distracted, divided and woefully disconnected from Scotland’s priorities.

“No SNP seat is safe. At the next election, every vote for Scottish Labour is a vote to deliver a Labour government with Scotland’s voice at the heart of it.

“Scottish Labour MPs will deliver where the SNP has failed and truly stand up for Scotland.”

Mr Murray’s comments come as a poll on Saturday by Savanta for The Scotsman showed the SNP and Labour even in Westminster voting intention, both sitting at 35%.

In response, an SNP spokesperson said: “The SNP will work hard for every vote and take nothing for granted.

“The Tory Government has been ruinous and Labour are walking further away from their promises the closer (leader Sir) Keir Starmer gets to Downing Street.

“Voting SNP and electing SNP MPs is the only way to ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard at Westminster and Scottish interests protected.”