STEPHEN Flynn has slated Scottish Secretary Ian Murray after he claimed the public “don’t like honesty” when grilled about poor Holyrood polling for Labour.
Murray was asked whether he felt Survation polling for Holyrood Sources – which showed Labour way behind the SNP – was indicative of how badly the Labour UK Government had performed in its first six months in power.
In response, he said the UK Government warned people it would have to make tough calls and suggested that perhaps the public "don't like honesty after all".
The poll put the SNP on 35% of the constituency vote – 13 points ahead of Labour on 22%.
SNP Westminster leader Flynn has since criticised him for blaming the public, suggesting if that is the party’s approach they “still have a long way to fall before they reach rock bottom”.
He said: “If the Labour Party wants someone to blame for their fall in the polls – they need to find the nearest mirror. “If Labour’s reaction to their own unpopularity is to blame the public – then their polling numbers still have a long way to fall before they reach rock bottom.
"They promised to cut energy bills – they have gone up by £149. They promised to protect pensioners but have removed their Winter Fuel Payments. They promised to support the Waspi women but have betrayed them. “Labour promised change, but they have already lost control.”
The Survation survey also showed the Scottish Tories were polling at 14%, just one point ahead of Reform UK on 13%. The LibDems posted an 8% vote share, the Greens 6%, and Alba 1%.
On the regional list, the SNP were on 31%, Labour 21%, the Tories 14%, Reform UK 13%, the LibDems 10%, the Greens 9%, and Alba 2%.
A seat projection from Professor John Curtice then put the SNP on 53 seats – 12 short of a majority in the 129-seat Scottish Parliament.
On the Unionist side, Labour would emerge as the largest party with 24 seats, it was predicted, but for a Unionist majority to take power Labour would then have to accept political support from Reform UK and the Conservatives.
Speaking to journalists at Holyrood on Wednesday, Murray also accused the Scottish Government of announcing it will scrap the two-child cap “without a policy”.
He said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is prepared to provide any data the Scottish Government requires in order to get rid of the cap, but he accused ministers of not being “quite sure what they’re asking for”.
The Scottish Government announced in its Budget before Christmas that it would work to get rid of the policy which limits the amount of benefits parents can claim if they have more than two children.
Murray said he had received an update from DWP officials this week and said civil servants would provide any data required as well as offer support with any policy development.
Ian Murray is a minister 'not on top of his brief', the SNP has said today - after the Labour Secretary of State for Scotland appeared to be unaware of ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the DWP on scrapping the two-child cap.
The SNP hit back at Murray, however, and accused him of not being "on top of his brief", claiming a letter sent to the UK Government - which the Labour Secretary of State was copied into - already made clear the data requirements last month.
SNP MSP George Adam said: "Not content with blaming the electorate for Labour's slump in the polls, these latest comments show a bumbling Secretary of State who is not on top of his brief.
"Far from working in partnership with the Scottish Government to end child poverty, it seems Ian Murray can't even be bothered to read his mail.
"The Scottish Government has been engaging with the UK Government for weeks on the data required to scrap the two-child cap - and Ian Murray himself has been copied in to correspondence. That he was seemingly unaware of this shows a Labour minister that is clearly not focussed on tackling child poverty."
