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UK General Election 2015: Anti-Labour protesters chant 'traitors' outside Ed Miliband speech in Glasgow

The protesters feel betrayed by the Labour Party

Saturday 02 May 2015 17:54 BST

Protesters attempted outside the Labour rally (Getty)

Pro-Scottish independence protesters brandished “Red Tories Out” placards and shouted “traitors” ahead of a speech by Ed Miliband in Glasgow.

Mr Miliband was in the Scottish city for a rally with Jim Murphy, the leader of Scottish Labour, to urge people to vote Labour at the election, not SNP on Friday.

The Scottish independence protesters shouted "traitors" (Getty)

It is a mark of how extreme opposition to the Labour Party now is among many Scottish voters and how much ground the party has to make up before the General Election.

Recent polls have suggested that Labour will be wiped out in Scotland, with the SNP winning more than 50 of the country’s 59 parliamentary seats.

In his speech Mr Miliband championed his party’s commitment to a progressive programme in government.

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Show all 10

1/10In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Andrew Hawkins (ComRes)

“This is an election of wild promises and political cross-dressing; so no differentiation, no breakthrough, no majority. The most likely outcome is Ed Miliband in No 10 because only he will be in a position to work with enough parties (that is, the SNP) to form a workable government.”

Andrew Hawkins

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Joe Twyman (YouGov)

“As each day passes and the Conservatives fail to increase their vote share, the likelihood of Ed Miliband becoming PM (albeit still with a minority) grows. That’s due to the continued performance of the SNP in Scotland and former Lib Dem voters propping up Labour in England.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Ben Page (Ipsos MORI)

“A better week for Ed Miliband than for David Cameron – personal ratings improving, and the betting markets moved in his favour. The poll numbers have him ahead by a whisker which, combined with the electoral maths, makes him more likely to be able to form some kind of government on the raw numbers right now. However, Cameron will be hoping for a 1992 moment when ultimately voters can’t quite bring themselves to try someone else – and 38 per cent of voters still say they may change their mind.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Rick Nye (Populus)

“The Populus/Hanover Predictor has Ed Miliband ending up as Prime Minister in more than five out of six simulations we run.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Nick Moon (GfK)

“Tories most seats, SNP 45 or more, Ukip fewer than five: minority Labour government.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Damian Lyons Lowe (Survation)

“Ukip’s vote share is prone to be squeezed, benefiting the Conservatives, while the SNP’s onslaught on Labour continues. Based on three UK/Scotland polls, I am upgrading the Conservatives and the SNP, and downgrading Labour. Both the Lib Dems on 30 seats and Ukip on 5 to 10 remain unchanged.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Michelle Harrison (TNS)

“Still no change, but Nicola Sturgeon goes from strength to strength in Scotland. For me, who the biggest party is will hinge on the crucial marginals. But what ultimately wins – safety first, for the Tories, or Labour’s ‘get out the vote’ ground war?”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

James Endersby (Opinium Research)

“Our poll today shows a one-point Tory lead, statistically a tie. It’s going to be incredibly tight. Labour and the Tories would do well to be negotiating with the smaller parties behind the scenes. In the likely event of a hung parliament, we’ve been testing various combinations of coalition. Labour teaming up with the Lib Dems would be more popular than with the SNP, which in turn would be more popular than a Tory/UKIP scenario.”

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Martin Boon (ICM)

“Not much going on really, and no reason to change my mind. Tories by a couple of points.

In pictures: Experts' predictions for the General Election - 26/04/15

Lord Ashcroft (Lord Ashcroft Polls)

He refuses to make predictions. “My polls are snapshots, not predictions.”

Rex

“Our priority is social justice. If you want social justice not separatism, I say to the people of Scotland vote for it, vote Labour, vote for a Labour government,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

He promised to abolish the so-called bedroom tax as his first act in government, “not just in Scotland. But in England. In Wales. Right across out United Kingdom”.

Ed Miliband was joined at the rally by Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy (Getty)

If he becomes the next prime minister, Mr Miliband also said he would vow to make the Scottish Parliament “one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world”.

But SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie said: “Mr Miliband sacrificed any claim to progressive politics on Thursday night, when he indicated that he would prefer to let the Tories back in to continue their cuts and damage to society for five more years, rather than work with the SNP to keep them out.

“That represents a further abandonment of principle by Labour. It is clear that electing a big group of SNP MPs next Thursday is the way to lock the Tories out of Downing Street, and achieve the decisive position needed to deliver these progressive policies.”

Additional reporting by PA

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