There can’t have been many times when a single Sun front page gladdened the hearts of SNP activists as they passed news-stands all over the country – but it happened this morning.
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It couldn’t have been written more enthusiastically by one of the first minister’s spin doctors. Given that many readers only read the first few paragraphs of a story and many more never turn to the resumption of a story inside, these first three paragraphs were all the SNP needed. But, if any readers needed any more, they got it: on pages 4, 5, 6,7, 8 and 9. The coverage was, indeed, remarkable. Politicians are used to tabloid papers coming out for them, but this was akin to turning over most of the newspaper to praising the first minister. The headline on pages four and five was: “It has to be Salmond” and then, on pages six and seven, there was a spread written by Mr Salmond under the headline: “Give us another kick of the ball.” Just in case anybody had forgotten what happened in 2007, the Sun helpfully provided us with an image of the paper’s front page ahead of the 2007 election. It was the complete opposite of today’s offering, bearing the headline: “Vote SNP today and you put Scotland’s head in the noose.” So what’s changed? Labour strategists believe the Sun is doing Rupert Murdoch’s bidding and is cosying up to David Cameron – under the logic that the Tories would rather see the SNP than Labour in charge at Holyrood. This is debatable. The real reasons are likely to be a touch more prosaic. For instance, Sun managers are acutely aware of their rivalry with the Labour-supporting Daily Record and this is designed to fuel that rivalry, elevating it from mere sales to a more political level. Also, the Scottish Sun has a new editor. Andy Harries came from the south of England via the Scottish Daily Mail and has now shown he has a more independent streak (if not necessarily Independent) than some of his predecessors. But it is also true that the Sun likes to back a winner, and Alex Salmond has proved himself to be more of a winner than Iain Gray. There will be many SNP activists who will remember that 2007 headline with anger and who won’t like the idea of getting matey with a paper they regard as something close to evil. But they will also see the considerable benefit that such a massive endorsement will give their campaign. The Sun is bought by 330,000 Scots every day and read (or glanced through) by three times that number. Its effect will be galvanising for the SNP, but nobody should underestimate the opposite impact it will have on Labour. With the Labour campaign already in the doldrums, with bitching and backbiting starting to surface fairly regularly about the leadership, the campaign and the policy agenda being pursued, this will dishearten Labour activists still further. And, in an election as tight as this one is proving to be, it is just that sort of difference which can allow one party to sneak through ahead of its rival. Remember the old Sun claim from 1992 election? “It was The Sun wot won it.” Mr Harries will be delighted to say the same again this year – whether or not it turns out to be actually, strictly true.Want to discuss other issues? Join the debate on our new Scottish Voices forum
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