Labour MP Jim Murphy declares that he wants to be Scottish Labour leader on the day that an opinion poll says Labour could be left with just four Scottish seats at Westminster, Labour support in Scotland has collapsed to 23%; a quick fix won’t solve Labour’s problems, total revamp needed

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of it for a moment, many people are totally disenfranchised by the Labour Party, working class people feel that Labour no longer represents them.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