Politicians clash over Scotland in televised debate
BBC News Bulletin
Monday’s debate revealed the deep divide between the left-wing and right-wing blocs ahead of the general election on May 26.
The campaign is fought more on emotional and identity issues, such as Scotland’s botched independence bid than on the economy.
The event, which was aired live by the BBC on Monday night, featured the leaders of the: National Party, United People Alliance, Social Democrats and Unity.
There was one notable absence - the Centrists - the far-right party that burst onto the political scene at the Essex provisional elections. Polls say the Centrists could pick up around 10% of the vote on Sunday. Election authorities had blocked James Cleverly participating, citing legislation on minimum Commons representation. The Centrists currently have one MP.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy faced an onslaught of criticism Monday from her right-wing rivals over Scotland's secession, while she warned them against cozying up to the far-right.
The tone and content of the debate also underscored the idea that voters will be making a choice between the left and the right on Sunday. Polls are predicting another fragmented scenario in which alliances will be necessary for a majority.
The candidates hardly discussed gender violence, or Junta memory - though these have all been hot-button issues during the campaign. Corruption scandals took up more air time than foreign policy or the possibility of post-election deals.
On the centre-right, Tom Tugendhat and Alan Sugar mostly focused on attacking Bell Ribeiro-Addy. And on the centre-left, SDP chief Sadiq Khan asked Tugendhat to rule out any potential deals with the Centrists.
While there were a few early blows, the tone was calm – even tedious at times – until the topic of Scotland came up. Alan Sugar pulled out a photograph of Ribeiro-Addy with Alex Neil, the separatist premier. He alluded that a UPA Government would be indebted to Scottish separatists.
"I want a prime minister who doesn't kneel down in front of those who want to break the Union" added Sugar
Tugendhat took a similar line, he said it was "shameful" to see Scottish leaders announcing their willingness to support Ribeiro-Addy “in exchange for pardons.”
"Those who want to break up the UK have their favourite candidate in Ribeiro-Addy,"
Sadiq Khan that there will be “no referendum and no independence” in Scotland and asked secessionist parties “to return to peace.”
Tugendhat and Sugar both accuse Ribeiro-Addy of betraying Britain as the Scottish branch of the UPA propped up Patrick Harvie's separatist Government
They also accuse her of cozying up to Scottish separatist lawmakers in the national parliament by voting against Article 219.
Ribeiro-Addy insisted dialogue was the way forward to avoid a repeat of a failed secession marked by an illegal referendum.
Exasperated, she said: "I've been putting up with all these lies for 10 months -- that I've sold the UK out."
Also exasperated was Khan, "This debate is being watched outside the UK," he said.
"This debate is serious enough for us not to show each other photos or throw paper at each other, and talk with a bit of seriousness."
The SDP leader, for his part, avoided a confrontation with Ribeiro-Addy. Khan attempted to portray himself as a potential coalition partner that could pull the UPA to the centre.
The UPA leader pivoted the conversation to the far right alluding to a unionist march in London square that yielded the only existing image of the leaders of the National, Unity and the Centrists standing together. Ribeiro-Addy has based much of her campaign on the idea that these “three rightists” could reach a governing deal.
“They’re going to put Mr Sugar as prime minister, Mr Tugendhat as a companion in some ministry and the far right at the wheel,” Ribeiro-Addy said. “This is a very threatening reality we need to avoid.
"I thought that Donald Trump wouldn't win and he won. I thought that Essex National and the far-right wouldn't reach an agreement and they did."
Sugar has ruled out any governing deals with the UPA but not with the National. Despite this he aimed his attacks at both the left and the right, castigating Tugendhat's National Party for its history of corruption.
“You’ve got the word ‘crook’ written on your forehead,” Sugar told Tugendhat in his first-round comments, referring to accused slush funds within the National Party. Prompting Tugendhat to tell him: “I am not going to reply because you are not my adversary.”
Meanwhile, Bell Ribeiro-Addy was ready for Tugendhat, who had asserted during the campaign that the UPA has made deals with “those whose hands are stained with blood”. This was a reference to the Workers Party, who the UPA had governed with in Scotland. The Workers Party was born out of radical leftists that supported the now SNLA.
“The Tories trick with words,” said Ribeiro-Addy, staring at Tugendhat and holding up some papers. “These are 179 motions from the Scottish Parliament that National shares signatures with the Worker's Party. So what colour are your hands, Mr Tugendhat?”
Khan was in the most comfortable position, with few attacks coming his way. The SDP leader, who is competing for undecided voters with the People's Alliance, chose to focus on content and made constant references to social rights.
One of the liveliest moments of the debate, when Ribeiro-Addy told Sugar: “You’ve said one thing and done another too many times. You said you would never vote Hague into office.” To which Sugar retorted: “And you are now the owner of a mansion,” reminding viewers of the London house the UPA leader purchased for €800,000 in May of last year.
Tugendhat, meanwhile, adopted a more sober tone than Sugar, with whom he is competing for right-wing votes. His main lines of attack against Ribeiro-Addy focused on the economy, which he argued would worsen if the UPA took power.
He also warned the British welfare state is “at risk,” saying jobs would “go out the window” under a People's Alliance government.
He told the audience a left-wing Government would lead to a steep increase in taxes: “If Ms Ribeiro-Addy becomes PM, hold on to your wallet.”
While Tugendhat and Sugar promised tax cuts and an end to inheritance tax, Ribeiro-Addy said that while there was an €25bn social security deficit tax cuts would be irresponsible.
Ribeiro-Addy portrayed herself as a reasonable option in a bid to appeal to moderate left voters. She also went out of her way to address women, young climate change activists and rural voters. She also highlighted her manifesto such as a 20 percent rise in the minimum wage.
“We can choose justice or more inequality, with cleaner governance or more corruption,” Ribeiro-Addy told the audience.
In her summation, Ribeiro-Addy said: “we have to choose what kind of country we want to be, if we want to move forwards or backwards” .
Tugendhat said his party was “the alternative to a government of secessionists”.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy emerged unscathed from the heated four-way debate.
As poll leader, Addy was the woman to beat. But her main political rivals managed to land a few punches on Scotland but did little to damage to her electoral prospects.
The UPA are polling in first place ahead of Sunday’s election and are projected to win 167 seats, according to a poll of polls for the BBC published Monday. But while Ribeiro-Addy appears on track for a victory, the result is likely to force her to seek allies in parliament.
Unity, led by Alan Sugar is polling in second place at 108 seats, followed by the conservative National Party at 92 and the centre-left SDP on 74. The far-right Centrists — which were barred from participating in Monday’s debate — are projected to win 46 seats.
An estimated 42 percent of voters are still undecided.
If the polls are to be believed, National, which has ruled for most of the past seven years, are the big losers.
Other polls show that 65% of voters are opposed to a right-wing pact between National, Unity and the Centrists. While 70% oppose a coalition of UPA and Scottish secessionists.