Liddell attacks Tory election boss

Helen Lidell launched an attack on the Tories

Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell has launched a savage attack on the man who will lead the Tory general election campaign in Scotland.

Mrs Liddell called the former Conservative Party Scottish Secretary, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, "Jekyll and Hyde".

During a speech to the 2001 Scottish Trade Union Congress conference in Aberdeen, she also made stinging criticisms of the Scottish National Party calling them "one club golfers" who "don't even turn up for Scotland" at Westminster.

She told delegates : "Malcolm Rifkind - the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of Scottish politics. Mr Boom and Mr Bust cohabiting inside the same skin.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind: Jekyll and Hyde character

"He used to pass himself off as the Tories' 'Mr Nice'. Caring on social issues, moderate on Europe, eager for devolution.

"The sort of man who could protect Scotland from the cold blast of Thatcherism.

"But the same Malcolm Rifkind exposed Scotland to the monstrosity of the Poll Tax a year before it was let loose on England.

"This same Malcolm Rifkind sat on his hands in Cabinet as Ravenscraig was thrown to the wolves.

"This same Malcolm Rifkind, as Defence Secretary, torpedoed the workforce at Rosyth.

General election

"Now he has his sights on a Westminster comeback. Playing the statesman, but with all the real concern of Dracula rising from the grave."

She said the Tories would threaten everything Labour has worked to achieve and unleash £16bn worth of cuts in public services.

She also launched an attack on the SNP saying that they could not win the election and even if they could, they do not deserve to.

She added that votes by former leader Alex Salmond were "rarer than sightings of Elvis".

One-club golfers

She said: "They don't stand for Scotland at Westminster, as they claim. They don't even sit for Scotland. They don't even turn up for Scotland.

"The truth is that the SNP are one-club golfers. Their only policy is separation of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom."

Sir Malcolm later hit back by saying Scots have too much at stake in the coming election to be distracted by "petty personal attacks".

He said: "Issues that affect their livelihood, their future, need to be discussed and debated.

"Helen Liddell of all people would be unwise to spend too much time on what Scotland's political leaders were doing over ten years ago. I was serving Scotland. She had other priorities."

Ancient abuse

He said he agreed with Mrs Liddell that the election will be a two-horse race between Labour and the Conservatives.

"The irrelevance of the SNP and the Liberal Democrats as viable political alternatives is plain for all to see - voters know their vote is wasted on them," he added.

"Helen Liddell should be using her time to account for Labour's failure to help the people of Scotland.

"The Scottish Tories intend to fight this election on the issues that matter to the people of Scotland, while Labour seems intent on hiding behind a smokescreen of ancient abuse."