SNP now a busted flush politically, Jeremy Corbyn rules out any deal with the SNP as he cites that Nicola Sturgeon and her party would not be reliable allies for Labour, Corbyn is starting to get the hang of the Scottish problem, no deals no discussions no backtracking, Ed Miliband tired sitting on the fence and it blew up in his face in 2015 spectacularly

Dear All

Do you remember Ed Miliband as Labour leader?

His leadership was plagued by gaffe after gaffe and he could not connect with the public at any level, during the Westminster 2015 election, he sta on the fence and allowed talk about doing a deal with the SNP to flourish.

His actions completely undermined the Scottish Party and sent out a message to Scottish voters; it is okay to vote SNP because he would do a deal with them to usher in a Labour Government at Westminster.

How did that work out?

56 SNP MPs returned to Westminster, the worst election defeat for Labour in Scotland since 1918, it left a single MP in the shape of Ian Murray to fly the flag in Scotland. The Labour campaign in Scotland added to the crushing defeat as Jim Murphy used the wrong tack to try and win over voters.

His mini Better Together style campaign which made him even more high profile flopped rather badly.

If you remember my post of February 2015, you get a sense of how bad that campaign was, ‘tat’ doesn’t win election, yapping on about ‘fitba’ doesn’t win elections, getting a beer at a ‘fitba’ match may appeal to a minority but doesn’t win elections.

Can you think of bigger injustices in Scotland?

If you can you could ask why ‘fitba’ was the centre piece of the party’s policies, the jewel in the crown.

Today sees Jeremy Corbyn in Glasgow; he is doing three events I know of in Glasgow so far, the Labour hustings at the SECC, a second event next door early at the Crowne Plaza and a third which is a policy launch somewhere in Glasgow. I don’t know much about the policy launch as I just read the email today about an event in less than 3 hours from now.

This is Jeremy Corbyn’s chance to shine and make his pitch to the Scottish Labour movement of why a return to more socialism is needed to bring back voters who have felt abandoned and subsequently gave their votes to the SNP.

The road to a Labour Government in Westminster isn’t a deal with the SNP, they cannot be trusted and they would if they had the chance try and hold the whole of the UK to ransom to get what they wanted.

There are no deals to be done with the SNP, Ed Miliband thought it was possible and look what happened to him. I should mention later in the 2015 campaign he realised his colossal mistake and tried to switch back to a no deal approach.
By the time he got it right, the damage was done and he lost badly!

Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out a coalition with the SNP, he seems to understand what the rest of us know, the question about the SNP centres on several issues trust, competence and lack of understanding how government works. They think they can just present a demand and like a child the parent will dip into their pocket to supply extra money or powers, it doesn’t work that way.

The SNP is clumsy in the way they do their politics, too small minded and backward looking.

Jeremy Corbyn and his rival Owen Smith have pledged to invest £20 billion in Scotland if they are elected to lead a UK Labour government.

£20 billion sounds good but you need to look beyond the sweeping highline and start on the detail, Labour in Scotland has suffered to win back trust the party is desperately in need of a Nye Bevan, something to reset the party in the minds of the voters.

Jeremy Corbyn appointed the shadow Scottish secretary Dave Anderson, Anderson blew it in Scotland when he said that Labour should consider an SNP coalition "if that is the price that we have to pay to prevent another rabid right-wing Tory government".

That went down like a lead balloon, and in my opinion, Anderson has to go from the position of shadow Scottish secretary probably later on when new people come forward closer to the next Westminster election.

I voted for Jeremy Corbyn, he tickes many boxes, I don’t sign up to everything he says but then who agrees with everyone on everything, but he is right when he accused the SNP of pursuing Conservative-style policies. The SNP are not a socialist party, that is the myth they use to get the working class vote, they are all about big business, centralisation and inward looking thought.

Jeremy Corbyn said:

"Just under a year ago I was elected leader of the Labour Party because people could see a need for change. That need for change isn't going away - and neither am I. It's Labour's commitment to making that difference that means that we're not looking for an alliance with the SNP. Let me make it clear. I will welcome support for all or any of our policies from any other political groups or parties ... but I'm well aware that Labour and the SNP come from different traditions and have different goals. I don't see a party that welcomed (then Chancellor) George Osborne's corporation tax cuts, relentlessly attacked local government and is committed to a benefit cap as reliable allies for a radical Labour government. There are many people who have voted for, or even joined, the SNP who want to see many of the changes we want to implement. I don't think these people are always being served properly by the SNP."

And if there is a need for change then Scotland proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt, people in Scotland want something better, and that is why politics is in flux, Owen Smith in my opinion doesn’t provide that to working class Scots.

Owen Smith isn’t the change candidate!

The news of no deal for the SNP will not go down well with Nicola Sturgeon one by one her chances are being cut, and when the people start looking around at her ineffective government, there will be a change in Scotland again.

The SNP based this existence on independence, people know that the leadership of Alex Salmond didn’t deliver it, they also know that Nicola Sturgeon is a sham and she will not be delivering it either, the talk is there, but the talk is rhetoric!

Jeremy Corbyn has a vision of a fairer Britain, but he also has a task equally as big, deliver people who are socialists into front line politics to carry the message on into government.
People don’t want a Labour left wing that ignores the people, we already have had that thrust on us from the right of the party, the future of Labour is at stake, so the party needs to get the right mix for the British economy and the party.

It is true to say that Labour should have no truck with people who fail to deliver even within its own ranks and beyond.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University