The Lib Dems Cut Their Own Throats

Meanwhile in Scotland, Tavish Scott, leader of the Liberal Democrats at Holyrood is enduring a tough election. Even if the latest polls are too pessimistic about his party’s chances the Lib Dems could still lose half their seats. It’s clear that Tavish blames Nick for this. If Clegg hadn’t done a deal with David Cameron the Scottish Lib Dems might not be in quite so much trouble.

There’s something to this even though it’s also attributable to the different dynamics of a Holyrood election that has become, to a great extent, a choice between Alex Salmond and Iain Gray. The Lib Dems are being squeezed and have not been helped by a lacklustre campaign and the fact that, for the time being anyway, no-one can remember what they’re for except that they’re supposed to be nice people who stand apart from the fray.

That’s not quite good enough in the present battle, however. But it helps conspire against the Lib Dems and puts another squeeze on their vote. Nor has Scott helped himself by running away from the Westminster coalition. Quite the contrary, in fact. This interview with the Sunday Herald, published yesterday, is quite spectacularly stupid:

“It’s a tough election because of what is happening. I don’t deny that for one minute,” he said.

He also revealed his own anti-Tory instincts. “I grew up with Thatcher. I grew up with all that stuff going on. We all too well remember what they did to manufacturing industry in Scotland. It’s not naturally where I’d be in politics.”

He said he would not be swayed by UK leader Clegg on possible coalition talks after the election, and he might ally with Labour.

“Do you really think I’d really pay any attention to what London thinks after fighting this campaign? No, no. Why would I pay any attention to London on this issue where we fought a campaign having to deal with the consequences of London for the last six, seven weeks.

“The last thing I’ll want, the last thing I’ll pay any attention to, is whatever London thinks on this issue. That’s a decision for Scottish MSPs.”

True, any coalition talks – should anyone actually call poor Tavish – are a matter for his Holyrood group, not the party at Westminster. But as a matter of political strategy it is chronically dumb to try and run against your own record in government. But that’s what he’s trying to do:

In this election, Scott is trying to convince voters LibDems here are different from those in England because of his party’s structure. “It’s all we can do. What else can I do on it?” he says. “It’s tough. It’s difficult.”

Since there are other parties pitching to “defend” Scotland from the ravages of the Tory-Lib Dem coalition at Westminster there can’t be much space for a Lib Dem campaign promising to be just as zealous in that regard. It’s a queer approach to take. And a dumb one.

Granted, the Lib Dems Scottish seats have, historically, been Unionist vs Liberal contests and their voters aren’t often lapsed Tories and there are few Scottish Orange Bookers but nevertheless, and despite the other pressures on the Lib Dem vote, apologising for being part of the coalition is not the best way to navigate these tricky waters.

The different rules of a Holyrood vote means one should be wary of finding in it too many lessons for the next UK general election but I’d suggest saying “It was all a big mistake and we won’t do it again so please, please, please give us another chance” is not an approach likely to win many seats in 2015. Nor would it deserve to.

There’s no need for anyone else to prick the Lib Dems in this election, not when they’re so happy to bleed themselves. Oddly, they persist in thinking the public will respect this kind of self-harm. Not so.