Jim Murphy set to target undecided ‘copers’

Focus of Better Together switches to those who battle to make ends meet.

Better Together chief Alistair Darling has called on former Cabinet colleague Jim Murphy to win over key undecided voters in the battle to save the union.

Former Scottish Secretary Murphy is set to make his first major intervention in the independence debate tomorrow.

He’s to target the 300,000 undecideds who he describes as “copers” trying to make ends meet.

He’ll claim the SNP have turned their back on people such as plumbers, joiners, shop workers and home helps.

At a Glasgow speech he’s expected to say: “The type of people I’m thinking about includes those who are working hard for all they have. The people I would call the ‘copers’.

“Those people who, if their fridge or cooker broke down, wouldn’t know where to get the money for a new one.

“These are busy and clever Scots, warm-hearted and hard-headed, patriotic and pragmatic.

“But as this referendum campaign heats up more and more people are starting think the SNP seem to care more about their own nationalism than our nation.”

It’s believed that Darling has turned to Murphy, who helped in the immediate aftermath of the Clutha pub helicopter tragedy when he happened to be in the area, because of his “normal” background being brought up on a Glasgow housing scheme, his background volunteering at Glasgow churches and his well documented love of football.

He’ll attack the SNP for making a “mistake” by targeting big business rather than ordinary folk.