Dear All
It is Thursday; Labour MP Jim Murphy has declared
that he wants to be Scottish Labour leader and first minister of Scotland.
A point worth mentioning is that Scottish
Labour’s problem’s cannot be solved by just one man, because their problems are
so deep rooted that a popularity internal Labour contest is pretty much
meaningless with the public.
Some in the Labour Party have attacked Johann
Lamont for her sudden departure and the way she spoke out against what she
describes as ‘London Labour’, in truth there is never a good time to leave and
you could argue the merits of the basis that she left.
Jim Murphy has said there was "so much
that has to change" about both Scottish Labour and Scotland.
Let’s stick with Scottish Labour and leave
Scotland out of it for a moment, many people are totally disenfranchised by the
Labour Party, working class people feel that Labour no longer represents them.
And that feeling is new and isn’t anything
to do with the referendum, it has grown up over years and is more like decades.
Jim Murphy has a mountain to climb fixing
his own party before he can journey to the slopes of reconnecting with
Scotland. When he gets to the bottom of Mount Scotland, he will be looking up
at a sheer face with little footholds.
Also declared is Lothian regional MSPs Neil
Findlay and Sarah Boyack.
I see them as paper candidates,
particularly Sarah Boyack.
Murphy said his intention was to unite the
party and come up with a "Labour answer to Scotland's problems".
Question, what has disunited the party?
Jackie Baillie recently said the opposition
so is Scottish Labour united or disunited?
Jim Murphy said:
"I'm standing not just to be the
Scottish Labour leader, which would be a privilege in itself, but I am standing
to be our candidate to be first minister."
Murphy is now declared standing for the
Scottish Parliament in and to get his wish, Labour to have overturn the SNP's
current majority at Holyrood and win outright or do a deal and to form Labour
led coalition.
Murphy said:
"All of that energy we had in the
referendum, all of that passion, all that determination, that can't just go
away”.
In Pollok during the BT campaign, other
than the organizer, no one from the Labour Party came out and did a single day
that included all the Labour Councillrs, the Labour MP Ian Davidson, then Labour
leader MSP Johann Lamont and none of the Pollok Labour activists.
The Pollok Labour Party did the Labour events.
Murphy added:
"We should bring all of that together,
bottle it and use that energy from the referendum to try to solve some of the
problems that we do have in Scotland - health inequality, the problems in
housing, how do we improve our schools, how do we make sure that young people
get a chance to have a job but also a career."
I think Jim Murphy should wise up and realise
that the problems that Scottish Labour face go well beyond normal rhetoric.
Interestingly, he said:
“I've been around long enough, I've got
sharp enough elbows, no-one will tell me what to do if I'm Scottish Labour
Party leader - Scottish Labour decisions will be made in Scotland”.
The question arises what if Scottish Labour
members support something not supported by what is termed ‘London Labour’?
Who does Jim Murphy side with then?
Jim Murphy, speaking to the BBC added:
"I see it differently from the way
it's been described. The referendum was led by Scottish Labour with others
providing support, like the 100 Labour MPs coming up to campaign. I just see it
a different way”.
The 100 Labour MPs coming up to campaign
was in reality a photo op and being here for a day didn’t win the Scottish referendum
campaign, ordinary people who joined Better Together won the Scottish
independence campaign, it wasn’t solely Labour.
Jim Murphy indicated that he wants a “more
autonomous Scottish Labour party” but what he needs is a totally devolved
Labour Party to address the new political landscape in Scotland.
Murphy to address a Lamont grievance said:
"I am very clear after the controversy
we have had in the last few weeks that if I am the Scottish Labour party leader
I will hire and fire whoever I want in our team. I'm big enough, I'm ugly
enough, I've been around long enough, I've got sharp enough elbows, no-one will
tell me what to do if I'm Scottish Labour Party leader."
That doesn’t address the issue of Ian
Price, he worked in Scotland but he was fired by London, admittedly it was in
his contract who he was answerable to but the question remains, all Labour employees
must be under the direct control of the Scottish leader.
If Jim Murphy gets elected and then he
tries to conduct business as usual, he will not win the hearts and minds of his
own party or indeed with the general public.
It is said that there is a prediction going
around that Labour could be left with just four Scottish seats at Westminster.
The Ipsos Mori poll for STV News found that
52% of Scots would vote for the SNP if there was a Westminster election
tomorrow, this is somewhat based in that a large section of the Scottish people
feeling Westminster no longer represents them or their interests.
Jim Murphy's task to turn Scottish Labour
will be to ensure that elected members do represent the voters or he will get
rid regardless of who's ass they cling to.
His first order of business is new talent,
new policies, a new work ethic, new campaigning model and a cull.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow
University
3 comments:
Why on earth has support surged for the SNP after Scotland has voted to stay in the Union?
All this standing on the same platform as the Tories during the referendum. What the hell else were they supposed to do when both parties agreed on something?
Labour does need rebuilding from the ground up though. George ever thought of lending them a hand?
George,
Wouldn't creating and autonomous Scottish Labour Party be a validation of the separatists assesrtion that scotland is different and should be governed differently than the rUk? It is obvious that the Scottish Labour Party needs new and better leadership and that a charismatic and talented politician such as Jim Murphy could be a spear head for a renewal.
Given that 55% of the Scottis population have just voted to remain in the UK and reject the separatists agumnets, it is incredible that the leaderships of the Scottish Labour, Conservative and Lib Dems have allowed Yessers to have the political space and time to set the agenda and act as if the were the winners and continue to push for Independence.
I don't disagree with your point that the SNP lacks talent, I would just add to that the same is true of the other three main parties, they have won the war and are busily losing the peace.
Cheers
Terry
Dear Anon
"Labour does need rebuilding from the ground up though. George ever thought of lending them a hand?"
I was asked to join at the referendum count in Glasgow but so far I am keeping my options open.
I haven't made my mind up.
Also I have other interests to occupy my time such as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg6XIMYtB5w
I am learning new skills.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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