Labour’s home.

Written By: - Date published: 5:06 pm, November 19th, 2017 - 13 comments
Categories: International, labour, Politics, social democracy, uk politics - Tags:

I think it’s probably safe to say that Scottish Labour are back, given that the politics of Richard Leonard, the newly elected leader, appear to more or less in tune with Corbyn’s. Had Sarwar (a centrist or Blairite depending on what nomenclature you prefer) won the election, then Scottish Labour’s fate as third largest party in Holyrood would probably have been sealed. (And with Leonard as leader, any prospect of Scottish Labour running another UK General Election campaign against the SNP instead of the Tories has probably, thankfully, died.)

Anyway. Voters in Scotland are now in the enviable position of having the option between two overtly left wing, social democratic parties in their elections. And they also have the Green Party who are arguably more to the left than either the SNP or Labour given their push for more substantive and locally rooted forms of democracy.

And what of Kezia Dugdale, the outgoing Scottish Labour leader? Yeah, well…

Better Together boss Blair McDougall tweeted: “There are many ways to contribute to the struggle for democratic socialism. Flying ten thousand miles to eat kangaroo cocks with next year’s panto headliners isn’t one of them.”

Hard to argue with the general sentiments of that one I’d have thought.

13 comments on “Labour’s home. ”

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  1. adam 1
    19 November 2017 at 5:55 pm

    You gotta wonder about Blairite and centrists – it’s like they will sell working people down the river faster than you can say Boo.

    They should all run off and join the Tories now with a bit of luck. God knows we need that to happen here, but I won’t hold my breath – to many are enthralled with power, and being amoral to do anything like the right thing.

    • Bill 1.1
      19 November 2017 at 6:31 pm

      It’s all a bit promising (within context) 😉

      The original champion of devolution, long before it was considered practical was Keir Hardie himself, who Leonard claims as his political hero. Leonard gave an impressive speech at Glasgow Science Centre on Saturday morning invoking Hardie’s socialism and saying: “With this new movement for real change, energised with this new generation helping to lead it. But founded on our old and enduring idealism too.”

      • Pierre 1.1.1
        19 November 2017 at 8:12 pm

        When I was in the UK recently I saw one of Richard Leonard’s articles in the Star, he’s definitely a figure of the left.

        He’s also a member of the Red Paper Collective, which is to say he represents that section of the left which will defend the unity of working people in Britain, against separatism and attacks from the class enemy in both Westminster and Holyrood.

        • Bill 1.1.1.1
          19 November 2017 at 10:13 pm

          I believe I’ve read articles to the effect that Leonard is willing to work with the SNP. That’s a huge hit to the Tory’s at local government level.

          He’s also better disposed towards independence than Dugdale was.

  2. Wayne 2
    19 November 2017 at 7:57 pm

    Is it really practical to think Scottish Labour won’t campaign against SNP?
    They are the real threat against Scottish Labour, far more than the Conservatives. If Scottish Labour can’t take seats off SNP they will never be a force in Scotland. So doing a deal with SNP, either formally or informally is tantamount to political suicide.
    The post is effectively saying that SNP is the true voice of Scotland and woebetide anyone who thinks different. Even though Scottish nationalism in the sense of independence appears to be a declining force.

    • Bill 2.1
      19 November 2017 at 10:17 pm

      The idiot Dugdale is on record as stating that only the Tories could stop the SNP in some seats…when she was meant to fighting a fucking UK election Wayne. Scottish Laboour gifted Westminster to the Tories with their stuff and nonsense.

      The post is not claiming there to be any “true” voice of Scotland. It is sayng that having the choice between two genuinely left wing social democratic parties is fantastic (NZ has none).

  3. greywarshark 3
    19 November 2017 at 9:38 pm

    Tweets are inclined to be loony.
    “Former Better Together boss Blair McDougall tweeted: “There are many ways to contribute to the struggle for democratic socialism. Flying ten thousand miles to eat kangaroo cocks with next year’s panto headliners isn’t one of them.” ”

    Haven’t modern politicians any sense of appropriate language. And it’s really sexist when used to comment on a woman’s behaviour. Somebody who can say such a thing hasn’t the hold on his tongue and mind that a reliable politician, advisor or journalist should have.

    • Bill 3.1
      19 November 2017 at 10:18 pm

      But she actually is flying down to Oz to take part in a reality show where the contestants partake in the eating of things like kangaroo testicles. (Read the links provided)

  4. Zorb6 4
    19 November 2017 at 9:47 pm

    Seems a bit fishy to me.Trying to split the Scottish vote ,can only benefit one party.

  5. Peroxide Blonde 5
    23 November 2017 at 11:06 am

    Labour in Scotland increased their vote by only 1% in the “Corbyn Landslide”.

    The sum of their seat wins over the SNP is only 4,000. Their win was a mix of luck and a few hundred thousand SNP voters staying at home.

    Labours Scottish Branch office is now led by an Englishman who wants to ignore the independance question and brexit.

    Labour are no longer relevant in Scotland. The choice between Sarwar and Leonard was a choice between two versions of failure.
    Labour has chosen to compete with the Tories for Unionist and sectarian votes. They are fucked.

    Sorry I missed this post when it was live. I would have had a lot more to say.

    • Bill 5.1
      23 November 2017 at 11:20 am

      I saw Scotland in the UK election as being a case of “Corbyn Landslide” versus “Dugdale Drag”…

      And yes, Dugdale absolutely poked a stick into the weeping sectarian sore of Scottish politics and society.

      I didn’t think Leonard was so rabidly opposed to independence or meaningful autonomy as Dugdale, nor as rabidly opposed to anything and everything “SNP” as Dugdale, but sure, I could be wrong.

      • Peroxide Blonde 5.1.1
        23 November 2017 at 11:37 am

        I do not see Labour coming back in England either. They are sitting on the fence (or both sides of the fence) hoping the Tories will screw up Brexit.
        NEWS FLASH. Both the Tories and Labour are screwing up Brexit.

        I’ve no idea what the fall out will be like when the wider public finally responds to the shambles that Labour and the Tories created together. It is despairing. Hopefully the Irish Veto will force a split in the Tories, a general election and god knows what.
        This is the biggest self inflicted deep wound imaginable and the damage is not reversible. None of the current leaders are capable of fixing it.

        While I’ve sorted it the Middle East problems a few times after a few bottles of champagne I’d doubt there is any lubricant fit for the task of sorting out this mess. .