SCOTTISH Labour is facing its leanest-ever election battle yet with the party said to have access to considerably smaller financial resources than at the last Holyrood poll.
A report yesterday claimed the party plans to spend just £200,000 to fight the May campaign – down from £1 million in 2011.
But last night the sum, reported in The Sunday Times, was dismissed by Labour insiders who indicated spending would be higher.
Colin Fox, the former Scottish Socialist Party MSP, who is expected to be named today as one of the candidates for Holyrood elections for the Rise alliance, said news Labour was facing a squeeze on its election spending indicated the party’s London headquarters had little confidence in a successful result at the Scottish Parliament elections.
“It indicates they think the party’s chances in Scotland are pretty dismal,” he said.
He added: “In 2003, the SSP spent £300,000 to get six MSPs elected – that was 13 years ago and the price of fighting elections has increased since then.
“Rise has launched a campaign for £100,000, but we are only standing in the eight regions and are not fighting constituency seats. It suggests that funding for Labour candidates who are standing in the 72 constituencies will be thin on the ground.”
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “While the SNP will undoubtedly outspend us with their Lottery winners and other donors like Brian Souter, Scottish Labour will continue to fund election campaigns in Scotland and benefit from the pooled resources of the wider UK Labour movement.
“Politics in Scotland is changing, it’s now about the different choices we can make in Scotland, and after with the Scottish Budget it is clear only Labour will offer an anti-austerity alternative.”
A TNS poll last week forecast support for Labour was down to 21 per cent in the constituency section of the Holyrood ballot, and 20 per cent in the list section, leaving the party with just 25 MSPs, down from 38 currently, if replicated in May.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here