Dear All
In politics, there is at present a limited choice which most
people see as no real choice describing all parties are the same, whoever gets
in isn’t helping them.
In Scotland, the political landscape has changed and not for
the better, again, there is a lack of choice but also huge dissatisfaction
wh9ich has built up over several years.
Currently;
The Labour Party is in dire straits
The Conservative Party is still toxic
The Lib Dems have been wiped out by Nick Clegg’s bad
judgement
The SSP is trying to rebrand itself with something called
the Scottish Left Project, which won’t work
The Scottish Greens, well just struggling along
Solidarity which is Tommy Sheridan’s Party is pretty much
dead and buried politically, despite his attempts using indy and hope over fear
rallies.
Ukip is struggling in Scotland; they have managed to turn
anti EU feeling into seats
The Scottish National Party tapped in the dissent of voters
but people will find out the hard and painful way that the Nationalists don’t
care about them.
Most people are finding out that they don’t have a party to
vote for; it isn’t about voting for the most popular it seems that many people,
they are voting for the least worst.
For politics to be healthy there has to be real choice, but
mostly it isn’t.
Down South; Jeremy Corbyn is looking increasingly like the
only game in town as people switch from New Labour Blairities to Corbynites
whatever that means. I would say that Jeremy Corbyn represents for Labour a
transition.
The Labour Party needs to listen, and act on behalf of the
people, not as it was acting like ‘managers’ of the people. It took a long time
for Labour to fall in Scotland, and when the Westminster election came, it was
like quicksilver.
Now, up pops Jeremy Corbyn saying he is a Socialist not a
Unionist, is this going to make voters switch back in Scotland?
Anyone sitting about thinking ‘if only we had a ‘socialist
in charge’, personally I doubt it, what people want is a good MP who will work
their socks off to get their constituents problems solved, they want a party
that addresses the needs of the poor and vulnerable, a party that is pro-active
in making sure that life chances are increased for all, and that ‘equality and
justice’ isn’t rationed to certain select groups as it is at present.
That is what Scots are wanting, a fair crack of the whip, is
that what Jeremy Corbyn is offering?
Or, is he the man who is going to re-run the Labour policies
of the 1980’s and not get anywhere and achieve nothing.
He is correct when he says that “the Union of itself” did
not end austerity, health inequality and poor housing.
Corbyn added:
“Only a radical political programme guarantees those things.
That’s why what we were doing in Scotland last week - and will be doing again -
is something that does offer an alternative and is therefore attractive to
working class Scots to stay within the UK in order to achieve those things.”
A word to look out for in politics at present is
‘alternative’, but in some cases ‘alternative’ is linked to pie in the sky and
delusion.
David Miliband, the ex-Foreign Secretary isn’t backing
Corbyn, he is throwing his weight behind iz Kendall and claimed a Corbyn
victory risked creating a “one-governing-party state”, the party being the
Conservatives.
Andy Burnham although standing is hedging his bets because
the tide and winds seem to be with Corybn, he says there is a "good deal
of common ground" between himself and Corbyn.
He cites transport and education, whoopee!
Yvette Cooper’s campaign doesn’t seem to have steam despite
being a well-known figure within the party,
Could she spring past everyone?
Seems a bit ten to midnight if you ask me if she could win
given the circumstances as they are at present!
In an interview with what many see as the pro SNP paper the
Herald, Corbyn was asked if he was a Unionist.
He said:
“No. I would describe myself as a Socialist. I would prefer
the UK to stay together, yes, but I recognise the right of people to take the
decision on their own autonomy and independence”.
He added:
“I would hope that we can offer a sufficiently radical
economic agenda for the whole of the UK that will ensure that all those
traditions of Labour in Scotland, in Wales for that matter as well as in
England do come together within the party.”
Corybn rather looks signed up to the Conservatives’ idea of
strategic disengagement which to my mind doesn’t tick the box of being
‘radical’.
One thing Corbyn got right is that there needs to be an
alternative economic strategy.
He said:
“By offering an alternative economic strategy which
addresses the levels of poverty and inequality. Look at health inequality in
the UK. The worst places for this are London, Birmingham, parts of Manchester
and Glasgow...If you’re poor and in a bad place, you’re poor and in a bad
place. Labour can play a huge role in uniting people on the basis of a radical
economic strategy and that’s why all of our campaign has essentially been
around challenging the political agenda of austerity and it’s chiming with a
lot of young people, particularly with young, working class communities in
Scotland.”
Tony Blair entered office, he ran on change, he ran on hope,
he ran on being an alternative, once he got in f*cked the poor, the sick and
the vulnerable.
Scotland eventually had enough, and the rot set in, and it
grew and grew and then the entire Labour project collapsed in the most dramatic
fashion.
Kezia Dugdale said once elected ‘hear me out’, the trouble
is that too many people have closed the book on Labour, and it will take
something rather special to get them back. Looking at the situation if there is
another vote down the line the Labour Party won’t work with the Conservatives.
This isn’t why they lost in Westminster 2015, they lost in
2015 because people were sick of being ignored; Labour won’t cull bad MPs so
the task fell to the public, when it clicked with them, the good got swept away
with the bad.
One thing is certain; we will all know pretty early on whether
the new team in London and in Scotland will connect with the people of Scotland
as they lay out their vision.
This could be the darkest time in the history of the Labour
movement on both sides of the border.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
4 comments:
Michael Foot lite
George,who said you ate a fish supper at a SNP meeting? this is scandalous and you must deal with this. People need to know that you are at the centre of a smear campaign. People like to hear you George. Don't let us down
I lived through the 80's George all the Labour movement needs is this(sarcasm). The Conservatives will be rubbing their hands in glee @ the prospect. All i can say is that it will be disastrous for the Labour party if Corbyn gets elected apart from Dianne Abbot i can't see anyone willilng to serve in a shadow cabinet.
Hi Freddy
It is up to Labour to set out how they will connect with the Scottish people, and get back members who left.
If anything it will be interesting to see who they get to do it.
Hopefully they will think outside the box.
George
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