Labour must find a way of working with Cameron to save the union

This morning David Cameron made a much trumpeted speech on the importance of the union ahead of Scotland’s independence referendum later this year. Why he made it in Stratford is anyone’s guess. Sure, it was the sight of a wonderful summer for Britain, a summer of solidarity and unity and passion and joy. A summer where the whole of Britain came together to celebrate, and cheer and welcome the world. And today, the Winter Olympics begin in Sochi, so there’s a tangentially topical angle too.

And yet it’s hard not to see this as it will be presented by the enemies of the union north of the border – as a posh, southern English Tory, giving a speech on Scotland and independence from the safety of London. Cameron may be getting out of Westminster to deliver a speech, but he’s only popping twenty minutes up the Jubilee line to do so. The SNP have already labelled the location of the speech “cowardly” – an obvious attack, and one that No.10 should have spotted and avoided.

Yet, as usual, the SNP are being breathtakingly hypocritical. Their Deputy Leader has been out this morning saying that “to politicise any sporting occasion is shameful”. Now besides the fact that some of the most iconic moments in modern history have been both political and sporting (the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute or Emily Davidson stepping in front of the king’s horse at the Epsom Derby), this sentiment completely flies in the face of how the SNP behaved during the 2012 Olympics. Remember Alex Salmond calling for people to cheer on “Scolympians” rather than Team GB? Remember the £400,000 spent on a pseudo-Scottish Embassy? Attacking Cameron for politicising a uniquely unifying British moment is cheap – but it’s also barefaced cheek from the Scottish Nats.

Yet many within the Labour movement find themselves in a strange position on Scottish Independence. Intellectually and emotionally they find themselves on the same side as a Tory PM whom they dislike intensely. That creates a tension between those two strongly held positions, and encourages snark whenever the PM has anything to say on the union. It causes many of us to say that Cameron should “butt out” of the debate, that his every intervention is counterproductive and that it’d be better if he never spoke or thought the word Scotland ever again.

I know I’ve said similar in the past, yet the problem is it overlooks one crucial detail – he’s the Prime Minister of the UK and Northern Ireland. Trying to keep him out of the debate, or mocking him when he tries – in his own not particularly well stage-managed way – to get involved, only serves to further reinforce the notion that he can’t say anything. And yet, because he’s the leader of a country that could be about to fracture into multiple parts, it’d be utterly ludicrous if he did anything other than fight sepratism with vigour.

Can you honestly imagine any other nation on earth where the leader of a country that was potentially about to break up would stay out of the debate? I know we British are considered polite – but this seems to be taking it to an extreme.

The Labour Party and Labour supporters must find a way to accommodate Cameron’s unfortunate but necessary need to be involved in the debate about the future of Scotland and the union as a whole. The continued snark to the contrary only serves to help push Scotland towards the exit door. Whilst I sincerely believe that there are many Tories who would happily see Scotland leave the UK, I’m certain Cameron isn’t one of them. He’ll want to fight to save his country as many of us wish to save ours.

Lets not hammer him for that.