![Scottish Labour Leader Wendy Alexander MSP, was at Carnegie College, Rosyth campus, to launch Apprenticeships [Scotland] Bill at the college's School of Engineering and Technology. Wendy is pictured with Electrical Engineering students Scott Brown [left] 19 from Rosyth, and Lyall Hunter [19] from Kinglassie. Also pictured is Fife MSP John Park, [2nd right].](https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/thecourier/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2016/04/image.jpg1_.6107.jpg)
Scottish Labour made a bold appeal for disillusioned Liberal Democrats to come and join them.
Mid Scotland and Fife Labour MSP John Park said Labour has been inundated with Lib Dem voters angry at the coalition at Westminster with the Tories.
Labour intends to target marginal seats in the run-up to the Holyrood election next year and launched a webpage www.iusedtovotelibdem.com designed to encourage thousands of grumpy Lib Dem voters to consider joining the Labour Party.
Key target seats likely to be more winnable for Labour following boundary changes include Dunfermline, where Lib Dem Jim Tolson is the sitting MSP, and which Labour won from the Lib Dems last week.
Another target is the new seat of Aberdeenshire and North Kincardine, which has Lib Dem Nicol Stephen as the sitting MSP but takes in Labour areas.
“We know many Lib Dem members are furious and activists feel betrayed,” Mr Park said.
“We have had members of the public phoning our offices in fury and wanting to join in record numbers, and there are reports that the Lib Dem switchboards have simply stopped taking calls anymore.
“In the first 24 hours of the Tory-Liberal government, we had over 400 membership inquiries in Scotland and that rate of contact has continued this morning.
“Now Labour is going out to find others who want to be part of the progressive alliance that the Lib Dems have abandoned.
“Labour can be a natural home for Lib Dem voters who are deeply, deeply unhappy at their new alliance with the Tories. Their party leadership has traded their principles for chauffeur-driven cars.
“As we approach the 2011 elections, the SNP are on the wane and the Lib Dems have simply ceased to speak for Scotland.”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott hit back at criticism that his party was propping up a Tory administration at Westminster.
“I think the public will not respond well in Scotland if Labour and the SNP just are going to play scare, nasty, low politic tactics that are all about their political interests and not about the interests of the country.”
Contrary to the impression given by Labour, Mr Scott insisted Lib Dem activists are “very positive” about the new coalition government.
“What my party did yesterday out of our party headquarters was to contact literally thousands of our party members across Scotland and the overwhelming reaction is very positive,” he said. “I think that reflects the fact that people want to see an absolute step change in the way in which our politics is carried out, not just in Scotland but across the UK.”