Miliband just didn’t listen to what so many of us Scots were saying

Now he’s blaming a phantom menace rather than taking responsibility for defeat

The total wipeout of the Westminster parties in Scotland is a dramatic demonstration of how spectacularly their leaders have misunderstood the mood of the Scottish people by failing to see past their own political agenda.

Ed Miliband’s vacuous “hell yes, I’m tough enough” stance which lead him to make hollow pronouncements about not working with the SNP in the event they had to share power has left him with no power at all. He either failed to realize, or arrogantly discounted, the fact that an alliance to create a more progressive political climate in the UK is precisely what most Scottish voters want.

Nicola Sturgeon clearly articulated those values, which is why she has gathered so much support. After her stand-out performance in the leaders’ debate, people from all over the UK were asking if they could vote SNP – that’s not nationalism, that’s about people seeing a leader they felt they could trust. Ed Miliband could have chosen to find common ground with her, and Labour and the SNP could have worked together to build a groundswell of support across the UK from all of those people – not just Scots – who don’t feel represented by the London political classes. By allying themselves with the Tories – whose values are the furthest from anything the Scots can support - against the SNP in both the referendum and the election campaign, both Labour and the Lib Dems were seen to put Westminster politics before principles, and have lost the trust and respect of the Scottish electorate as a result.

The one consistent message across this campaign seemed to be that the British people no longer feel represented by the traditional political system – and the victory of the SNP in Scotland shows that as soon as people are given what they feel is a clear, principled, alternative, they will support it. The defeat of many of the stalwarts of both Labour and the Lib Dems around the country creates an opportunity for fresh, new voices to emerge in both parties. Maybe they’ll now find their own Nicola Sturgeons – and maybe – whisper it – they won’t be from London and will be able to see past the Westminster bubble.

Andrea Calderwood is a Glasgow-born, Bafta-winning film producer whose credits include The Last King of Scotland, Half Of a Yellow Sun, and A Most Wanted Man