THE DEPUTY leader of Scottish Labour has been accused of "a cynical attempt to deceive voters" after her party name has been left off an election leaflet sent out by her campaign.
Jackie Baillie, who is also Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson, will be defending her Dumbarton constituency seat at May’s Holyrood election.
Ms Baillie is the only MSP who has held the same constituency seat since the beginning of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Roseanna Cunningham, Fergus Ewing and John Swinney have all held seats since 1999 but have seen their seats reformed due to boundary changes.
But a leaflet put through constituents’ doors ahead of polling day makes no mention of the party Ms Baillie is second in command for – with the material claiming Ms Baillie is “a strong voice for local people”.
The leaflet adds that “only Jackie can beat the SNP” and although the paperwork is largely red, voters are not told which party Ms Baillie represents.
It adds: “The choice is clear. Vote for Jackie if you want unity and a focus on recovery to build a better future for your family, your community and the country.”
The only mention of Scottish Labour is in the footnote as part of election requirements.
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Toni Giugliano, who is standing against Ms Baillie in May’s election for the Dumbarton seat for the SNP, has claimed his rival does not see new party leader Anas Sarwar as any more popular with voters than Richard Leonard.
He said: "The Labour party is as much of a toxic brand in Scotland as the Tories that their own depute leader is too embarrassed to say its name.
"She is distancing herself from them so much that she fails to mention she is a party figurehead.
"In a cynical attempt to deceive voters she is using the same desperate tactics as the Tories in not putting party branding on leaflets. Scottish Labour has a new leader, but Jackie Baillie must not think Anas Sarwar makes them any more electable as she doesn’t mention him."
He added: "Baillie knows a vote for Labour is really a vote for Boris Johnson. It enables the Tories to dismantle devolution and attack our Scottish Parliament.
“Throughout the campaign I will be treating the people of Dumbarton with the respect they deserve and be open and honest with them – I am the SNP candidate here and I am proud of that fact.
“People in Dumbarton and across Scotland will have a simple choice at the election, whether they put their future into their own hands or into the hands of Boris Johnson.”
A spokesperson for Jackie Baillie said: “Jackie has been returned as Scottish Labour MSP for Dumbarton at every election since the Parliament opened and will be taking the distinctive Scottish Labour message of national recovery to the people of the constituency again at this election.”
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