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COMMENT

Labour cannot win Scotland on class lines

Richard Leonard’s pitch to lower-income workers does not match political or demographic reality

The Times

The public may not know Richard Leonard but at least the Scottish Labour leader knows himself. After nearly a year in the job he is finding his voice. That is the good news for Labour; the bad news is what Mr Leonard is saying.

According to Mr Leonard: “It is time to start uniting people on the basis of class instead of creating more division with an unwanted independence referendum.” This is an interesting statement, implying as it does that we must unite people by dividing them in a different way.

Of course, he doubtless means uniting the working-class people of Scotland with the working-class people of England and Wales and even, if anyone ever cares to remember them, the working-class people of Northern Ireland.