Monday, January 13, 2020

Trouble on the SEC Shop Floor; Scottish Labour split on Indyref 2 and erupts into ‘chaotic’ public row, now that Richard Leonard made a rod for his own back, he has two choices, some say ‘There's no point in Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard carrying on’ or plan B, go learn leadership and campaigning, plan B at least gives him a shot at FM and Bute House, and go hire a new advisor



















Dear All

One thing I haven’t done in the Labour Party is “joined” any of the various factions or sub factions of the party. I am not a Blairite or a Corbynista. Both of these groups are extreme, although the Blair crowd managed to get the press to call them moderates. Calling them moderates is a sick joke; after all, they are the ones responsible for the demise of the Labour Party either side of the border. In Scotland, it looks more acute due to smaller numbers of MPs. The 2019 Westminster election saw the Scottish Labour Party get 1 MP, and the SNP get 48 seats. The era of Richard Leonard has had a shaky start, he is a Corbynite, but if you think back to 2015 under Kezia Dugdale, she ushered in 1 MP and the SNP got 56 MPs, she was a Blairite.

So, whether there is a Blairite or a Corbynista at the helm, it is safe to say, neither is capable of delivering success, after all facts speak for themselves. When Richard Leonard said he wanted a special conference on the constitution, I said he was committing an act of self harm. The Party’s Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) then rejected Richard Leonard’s plan outright. In Scottish Labour, there are closet Nationalists who probably think if there is independence then their position as part of the political class would be okay financially, some even probably have been sucked into the Braveheart angle.

But Scottish Independence doesn’t exist; both the SNP and certain members in Scottish Labour would make Scotland a colony of the EU.

As the Labour Scottish Executive Committee shot down Richard Leonard’s idea, one of his closest allies, former deputy leader Alex Rowley has an attack on the SEC, accusing the some of the party hierarchy of “standing alongside the Tories". Clearly such a statement is sheer nonsense; it is the kind of rhetoric that you expect on an indyref banner. The way forward for Scotland is to be part of a strong UK, reaping the benefits of our biggest single market. One of the benefits that Alex Rowley’s family experienced was his daughter becoming an MP which was funded by the British State; she did rather well during her stint financially.

There should not be a special conference on the constitution; that is worthless but if Rowley and co want to talk, then a special conference on whether Scottish Labour should be a separate party would be more relevant. There is an issue to be discussed there, one which cannot be solved whoever the new leader of the party is. Keir Starmer nor Rebecca Long-Bailey can solve Scottish Labour’s deep seated problems of neglect, apathy and laziness in the ranks.

This is a Scottish problem requiring a Scottish solution!

What former deputy leader Alex Rowley’s game is of trying to smear certaining members by saying they are “standing alongside the Tories" is anyone guess, but he should remember that the majority of Scots voted against independence. I would say his outburst is un-statesmanlike and worthy of a member of the SNP. In reality if Alex Rowley wants to just ship to the SNP, he should just get on with it, because his rhetoric isn’t a show of leadership but rather the uncouth diatribe of the fanatic.

Is the Scottish Executive Committee out of touch as suggested, clearly on this issue, they managed to get it right, self harm isn’t an improvement on the development of the party. As to their other endeavors, I have no idea. But the fact the Scottish Labour Party is a factionalised broken down wreck which is incapable of mounting a serious challenge to the SNP is perhaps something they should have been focused on. 

According to the Scottish Labour website, ‘the Scottish Executive Committee is the governing body of the Scottish Labour Party, overseeing the overall direction of the party and the policy-making process. It sets strategic objectives on an annual basis and meets regularly to review the work of the party’.

Clearly, there has been a failure by them to meet strategic objectives such as winning seats, making the party the alternative to the SNP, and appearing to be the party of government in waiting. The truth is, too many in Scottish Labour are too busy ‘sailing their own course’ for their own agenda. This is something that has to be stopped dead in its tracks. 

In stirring the pot, the Scottish Conservatives claimed Scottish Labour had descended into “chaos”, not quite true, it’s just Monday and judging by the way things work, par for the course.

Here is an example of how Scottish Labour leader got the issue and timing wrong, he didn’t work behind the scenes beforehand before he dropped himself in it. Although people say the SEC gravely undermined Mr Leonard’s authority, did that himself. 

Richard Leonard’s failure to check he had the SEC’s backing before floating the idea was a “basic” error of leadership, even his usual supporters on the Left of the party are unimpressed. Now as the dust settles, he has been forced to abandon his plan in favour of an “away day” on federalism. This is an idea which doesn’t have public support, will not generate support and is something that can only be brought in if there is a Labour government in Westminster.

Anyone see or think that there will be a Labour Westminster Government anytime soon?

5 years?

10 years?

15 years?

How long will it take the people of the UK to forgive the Labour Party for their Brexit betrayal?

Scottish Conservatives spent 40 years in the political wilderness for getting it wrong on Scotland……. just saying.

Former Scottish Labour general secretary Brian Roy said the SEC’s decision was “another blow” to his (leonard) leadership, tweeting:

“I cannot recall a Scottish Executive Committee meeting where a Leader’s position on such a crucial issue was overturned.”

Brian Roy was said by some apparently that he was forced out by the Corbyn regime.


Roy wasn’t a bad Gen Sec, and it was a pity he left, but when you aren’t wanted, you go, he jumped before he was pushed.

After Alex Rowley fired his shot, the SEC members responded in kind.

SEC member Johanna Baxter, who represents members in West of Scotland and Fife, retorted:

“Have to say I don’t see why a senior member of the shadow cabinet should publicly attack members of the SEC for carrying out their (voluntary) democratic duties…”

Former Scots Labour MP Rosemary McKenna also told Mr Rowley:

“You’ve been out of touch for a long time!”

SEC member James Adams tweeted:

“I have to say I got scores of messages from party members from across Scotland before and after SEC meeting supporting the decision taken.”

Another former Scottish Labour general secretary also criticised the special conference plan, Colin Smyth, now a South of Scotland MSP, tweeted:

“If someone thinks talking to ourselves at a conference is more important than talking to the people of Scotland, how about we debate and discuss our vision for the future of our country not our position on the SNPs....”

Richard Leonard and Alex Rowley are both wrong, what they lack is big picture, ability to steer the party back towards being electable and have unity. Scottish Labour is in such a mess that they need to rebuild from the grassroots up. There is an article in the Telegraph which is titled, ‘There's no point in Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard carrying on’


His major fault is a lack of ability to understand campaigning, if you look at his record, he missed out something fundamental to political leadership, the view from the ‘shop floor’, remarkable given his trade union links! Time to put away the books and graft with the grassroots, say little and listen more.


Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

2 comments:

  1. Scottish labour really need to start again from scratch by the look of things.

    No more Blairite droids.

    No more Corbynista psychos.

    And no more closet Nats.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anon, when you get rid of those groupings, who is left?

    ReplyDelete