THE Scottish National Party was accused yesterday at the Labour
conference of collaborating with Militant to break Labour's grip in
Glasgow. The claim provoked a bitter row as the SNP denied the charges.
Mr Stewart Maclennan, the vice-chairman of Pollok constituency Labour
party -- who failed to hold a district council seat against Scottish
Militant Labour leader Tommy Sheridan -- said he had no doubt the SNP
had put up token fights in by-election contests in the city to give
Militant ''a clear road.''
He claimed that leading figures in the SNP had endorsed Militant.
Later, new Scottish general secretary Jack McConnell supported his
charges saying: ''We believe that SNP and Militant are working
hand-in-hand in Glasgow and that they are motivated by hostility to the
Labour Party.
''Our job is to prove to the people who have considered voting for SNP
and Militant that our opposition to the Tories is more effective and in
the longer term more likely to produce results.''
Mr Chris McLean, director of communications for the SNP, said: ''These
claims are a load of absolute garbage. They have no evidence for these
accusations whatever.
''Militant is a Mark-2 Labour Party and committed to the British State
as are Labour.
''We face regional council by-elections and we intend to win. Militant
have no chance. We intend to see them off just like Labour themselves.''
The row broke after Mr Maclennan told delegates: ''We know all about
Militant in Glasgow Pollok. For years, we have put up with their deceit
, thuggery, financial fiddling and packing of meetings. We faced up to
it, dealt with it and did them in.
''The new form of deceit isn't Militant but Scottish Militant Labour,
endorsed by leading figures in the SNP who pulled out of seats to give a
free run to Militant.
''There is co-operation between senior figures in the SNP and Scottish
Militant Labour. The thing they have in common is that they hate the
Labour Party in Scotland a lot more than the Tories do.''
Later Mr Maclennan said: ''What I am saying is that there is strong
common interest in both for collaboration.''
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