Murphy's law

摘要

There are times when the abuse of politicians becomes so vicious it is hard to know why anyone would want the job. Your columnist experienced such a moment on a bitter-cold recent day in Dundee, with an inch of frost underfoot, alongside Jim Murphy. The recently installed Scottish Labour Party leader was trying to canvass opinion on a housing estate in the western part of the city, which should be Labour territory. But the group of Scottish National Party (snp) supporters at his heels made this almost impossible. Every time he raised his hand to a doorbell, they yelled: "Liar at your door, love!" "Red Tory scum!" "What about the 100,000 dead Iraqis?"