Ian Blackford urges against SNP attacks comparing Labour to Tories and admits he has thought about MSP role at Scottish Parliament

The former SNP Westminster leader also called for reform of the United Nations

Ian Blackford urges against SNP attacks comparing Labour to Tories and admits he has thought about MSP role at Scottish Parliament

Former SNP Westminster chief Ian Blackford has urged party leaders to abandon the strategy of comparing Labour to the Tories in the lead-up to this year’s general election, as he revealed he had considered running to join the Scottish Parliament in the future.

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, the SNP business ambassador questioned the decision of his colleagues to keep comparing Labour to the Tories, insisting the two rival political parties were “absolutely” not the same.

And he admitted he had thought about becoming an MSP at Holyrood, claiming it “had crossed” his mind as he insisted he would not just disappear from the independence movement after standing down at this year’s general election.

Humza Yousaf has repeatedly compared the Labour party under Sir Keir Starmer to the Conservatives since becoming First Minister almost 12 months ago. In May last year, Mr Yousaf said: “This week, I accused Labour of being a pale imitation of the Tories. I was wrong, they are a replica.

“Whether it is the blue Tories or red Tories in No 10, they will continue policies that are harming Scotland. We need independence to protect our people.”

The slogan has been repeated by senior members of the SNP and appears set to be a central part of the party’s election messaging and strategy.

Mr Blackford, the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP, has questioned its use at a time when the SNP are seeking to arrest a slide in polling. A YouGov survey published earlier this week predicted the SNP would lose almost half of its seats at the general election, retaining only 25 of its 43 MPs – but would narrowly remain the biggest party in Scotland.

Mr Blackford raised questions over the SNPs frequent attacks on the Labour party, with his successor at Westminster, Stephen Flynn, often using Prime Minister’s Questions to criticise both the Tories and Sir Keir.

Asked if the two parties were the same, Mr Blackford insisted “absolutely not”.

He said: “One thing that all of us want is the removal of this Tory Government. Tory Governments are bad news for Scotland, they have been bad for all of us. We have had no economic growth since the financial crisis, we’ve had the worst decade for living standards in 200 years. We’ve had the first generation in living memory that are poorer than their parents.

“Something has gone badly wrong, the economy has been mismanaged and we have to get rid of the Tories. Let’s be completely honest – the next government is going to be a Labour government. So the question is what happens to Scotland and what is the role for the SNP?

“We have got to demonstrate we have that vision that will result in economic growth. I would argue that the UK is in long-term structural decline, Brexit is a problem.

“I think we have to honestly say to the people in Scotland ‘of course a Labour government is better for Scotland than a Tory government’. But if you want to hold the feet of a Labour government to the fire and make sure that Scotland’s interests are protected, then you need to vote SNP to do that. If you believe in independence, lending your vote to Labour isn’t going to help the cause of Scotland at this time.”

Mr Blackford urged his fellow MPs to recognise “where the country” is and focus purely on attacking the Tories.

He said: “I would respectfully say to colleagues as someone who has been around the block a few times, understand where Scotland is and understand the damage the Tories have done to Scotland. I could go on about what happened with [Margaret] Thatcher, the decline of our industrial wealth.

“Nobody has forgotten the damage the Tories have caused, the damage of Brexit, the austerity that has meant our public services are struggling in terms of delivering in the way that we want, the attack on the poor. Of course there’s a difference between the Labour government and the Tory government.

“I would say respectfully to colleagues, of course we have a duty to pick out the shortcomings of what Labour might do. But at the same time we’ve also got to give a positive message about the difference we can do.”

Despite this, Mr Blackford questioned if Labour had a plan to transform the economy, saying it was vital for the SNP to force them to act.

He said: “I am not prepared to accept another ten years of the Scottish economy not growing, but I am not sure there’s a very clear vision on how that is going to possibly change.”

Mr Blackford also offered his thoughts on how the SNP were doing more broadly, admitting the “last period has been problematic”. Since coming to power, Mr Yousaf has had to contend with both the ongoing Operation Branchform investigation by police into the SNP’s finances, that led to the arrest and subsequent release of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, and the iPad scandal involving health secretary Michael Matheson.

Mr Blackford said: “The SNP has been in Government for a long time now, since 2007, and has a new First Minister. When you look at the facts, the current polling shows there is a challenge, but on the other hand there is quite a significant difference between support for the SNP and support for independence.

“What we need to think about is what we are saying in this election, what’s the offering that we have, what’s the positioning of the First Minister? What are the SNP saying, what is the vision of the SNP and can the SNP demonstrate they are worthy of the trust of the people? The polls would suggest we are some way away from convincing people.

“I actually believe, with Humza, doing what he is capable of doing, and focusing on the values we have and who we are as a party, we can pull things back ahead of the next election.”

Labour delivered a stinging defeat of second-placed SNP at the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election in October. Some polls have indicated Labour under Sir Keir being et to replace the SNP as the largest Scottish party in Westminster.

Mr Blackford insisted “there is a long time” until a vote and suggested gains could offset any losses.

He said: “There’s an issue in defending the seats that we have, and there’s two Labour seats, but we’re facing seven Tory seats and a number of Lib Dems. We are actually the challenger in the Lib Dem seats, but more importantly, we are the challenger in the Tory seats, and I want us to wipe them out in Scotland.

“I don’t accept the premise that although the polls are challenging today, that we can’t in some areas make progress.”

There was also praise for Mr Yousaf, with Mr Blackford calling him a “First Minister of substance”.

He said: “When we think about the Middle East, and what’s happening in Gaza, who is the man that has shown leadership? Who is the man that has day in and day out spoken about the humanitarian crisis and the threat the ordinary people in Gaza face? It’s Humza.”

Asked if he’d thought about a run to become a MSP himself, Mr Blackford answered “yes”, but explained he was happy helping out in any role.

The Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP said: “My life has been segmented into different pieces – my time in the city, my time running a consultancy business, my time here. It’s coming to an end and I’m happy with where I am in all sorts of ways.

“I’m content with the help I am giving him [Humza Yousaf]. I’m enjoying working with him, as well as other colleagues in the Scottish Government. I don’t know what’s around the corner for me. I have been passionate about this cause since I was a teenager, I am not going to disappear into the sunset.

“I haven’t ruled out that I may emerge in some way, shape or form in the Scottish Government in the future.”

Mr Blackford revealed there had been “no ambition” to originally become SNP Westminster leader, but “others encouraged me to do it and it happened”.

Away from the party, Mr Blackford expressed a sense of “powerlessness” over conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as he called for the United Nations to be reformed.

He said: “We’re supposed to be a civilised society, but we’re facing threats all over the place. You’ve got a security council that is stuck, because on any decision they need to make because you’ve got members who can have a veto. So we do need to have reform.

“Many people will have different views, but if you brought in a two-third majority on the security council, that would do it. The UN does some fantastic work, but we need to make sure it has teeth and the authority to carry out what it needs to do.”