More than a Question of Money; Scottish Labour is getting 'financial assistance' from London to pay its bills, money from London relieves a symptom, but the real question is how to change the party back into a united campaigning unit which the public are willing to put its trust in, Labour in Scotland is a party in need of major overhaul of people, policies and practices, this is the ideal time to start that project

Dear All 

As some people will know, I have said that the Scottish Labour Party needs a new campaigning model, I said this even before Covid hit because the CLP and HQ model of campaigning is basically underpowered and lacking direction. If you have watched the political scene in Scottish Labour, it rather seems piecemeal, lots of people doing nothing, some people doing something and an air of stagnation. CLPs need to develop into more productive units of community engagement, the activist based needs expanded and re-trained, and the sense the party has a destination needs to be fixed in people's minds. Do you get a sense that the party is the government in waiting? That is quite an important question because it would influence people in whether to work for the party and donate to the party, and to give up their valuable time and skills. 

People have talked about when it all went wrong, as I have repeated said, Richard Leonard didn't dig the hole that Scottish Labour is in, he is just the guy in it looking up. You could argue, every person who ever held the leadership post in Scotland contributed to the slump. Some people helped accelerate it by various means, lack of direction, lack of leadership and saying rather stupid things or, backing people or organisations which were out of step with the people of Scotland or its interests. I wrote previously how some politicians sense of entitlement killed off the constituency vote, when you ignore where your bread and butter comes from, you really are in trouble. Scottish Labour hasn't learned from being kicked out by the electorate from constituencies, the entitlement of the constituency seat has been replaced by the entitlement of the list seat. You are doing to ask for evidence, well, you just have to look at polling, and the fact of no real change in the party. 

When did lockdown in the UK start? 

According to online data, it started on  23 March 2020. I am a member of Pollok CLP, the last meeting I attended was I think Feb 2020, we are now sitting in November, I haven't had any communication from them. I don't think I will for the rest of the year either, but given that there may be a Holyrood election in 2021, you would have thought I, along with the rest of the CLP would get something. Who is the candidate for Pollok in 2021, I don't know, I don't know if more than one person applied, and I don't know if there has been any vetting done, or if I am entitled to a vote. As well as not a peep from the committee, I have heard nothing from the four Labour Councillors in the Pollok CLP. As the council is still running, as decisions are still being made, I am sure that there must be enough material from the four of them to make up a monthly email. 

The reason for the rather lengthy prologue is to give my view as to why there has been an unprecedented collapse in Scottish Labour’s finances. Not only has the voters been forgotten about over some considerable time, but also the activists and members. Members are in short supply and activists as well, and one thing that Scottish Labour needs going forward is a strong activist base. Activists are the bedrock of constituency campaigning, these are the people making the case why people should vote Scottish Labour, the press likes to focus on the candidates as if they are carrying the whole campaign but that is just nonsense. A long time ago, I said that three things make up the 'political economy', people, time and resources. Although campaigning is made to be uniform, do this, do that do the other, lack of people limits certain activities which in turn limit other activities. If you understand the 'political economy', you can adjust your campaign to be 'bespoke', basically customised to max out the time to people ratio for garnering the max amount of votes.

Can anyone seriously think that this entire year has been productive for the Scottish Labour Party? 

The answer is no!

Campaigning will throw up hurdles, and hurdles can be overcome, but first you have to recognise that there are hurdles in front of you. Can anyone say that in the light of Covid, the party has max out its contacts with the public? 2020 has been a disastrous for Scottish Labour campaigning, a disastrous year for raising finances, and a disastrous year for failing to change. Since there is no real campaigning, a void has been created, and when people have voids in their lives, something else fills that void. People take on new commitments, new interests, work with others or other organisations, which happens, so when people fill their void, and Scottish Labour turns up and wants them to make a big commitment to campaign, the response might not be what they expect. If someone who you basically don't know and don't socialise with calls you up telling you to drop everything for them, will you do it? This is why I talk about a new campaigning model is needed, the Scottish Labour Party has allowed activist engagement to simply disappear. 

I can't say I am surprised that the Scottish Labour Party is being bailed out on its finances, it is disappointing, but when you read what I have written above, lack of money is just a symptom. As the Scottish Labour Party is part of the UK Party, they can always call on support, sadly UK Labour has been needed to help pay its bills for the past seven months. The Scottish Conservatives who wish to have a crack at becoming the next Scottish Government said Scottish Labour had become a “fading relic”. I can understand where they are coming from, 2021 is a shot at winning Holyrood for them, but it is also a valid shot at retaining their position primary as the 'official opposition' to the SNP. 

Who knows what will happen over the course of the next 8 months in any mainstream parties fortunes.   

One thing which is interesting is the Scottish Labour Party reserves slumping by 70 per cent but that cannot be laid at the door of the leader Richard Leonard, it's a collective failure which everyone who holds an elected position must share. the jist that I would say is that when elected, you have a duty to express your views so the party can make forward progress. Where is the forward progress by the party from within, or with voters? I am a great believer in letting people do their own thing because that what you can learn about their strengths and weaknesses. The scant contact by the Scottish Labour Party over this year has been a factor in the party's decline, you have to 'service' the membership base because the party relies on their goodwill. 

The latest Scottish Labour accounts state: 

“In consideration of the available reserves as at 31 December 2019 and the budgeted results for the subsequent accounting period, the Labour Party has confirmed that it will provide financial assistance to the Scottish Labour Party as required to allow the Scottish Labour Party to meet its liabilities as they fall due, for a period of at least twelve months from the signing of the financial statements. Based upon that the undertaking of financial support outlined above the Treasurer has a reasonable expectation that the party has adequate resources to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Treasurer has adopted the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.” 

During this time of Covid, it represents an ideal time for reflection and review of the entire party. Scottish Labour has been getting by on 'tune ups', this is the time for a major service, to put the party 'up on the ramps' and strip it down all the way. I am not just talking about replacing a few things but stripping out the engine, taking the chassis back to bare metal, and to look at the driving team. The party has to recognise that 'tinkering' is a thing of the past, but coincidentally the past may provide a means towards salvation, at least from an ideological point of view. The doctrine of John Smith never had its chance due to the sudden death of the man before he rose to power, maybe it's time it was rediscovered. The factionalism of the left and right has to end, because the party will not return to power unless that feud is stopped. This means the 'right' have to accept the leadership of Richard Leonard and operate from a position of extending him goodwill. Someone has to be the first to extend goodwill, because then it will empower others to do likewise for the good of the party. 

A Scottish Labour spokeswoman said: 

“Every political party in Scotland was faced with two unexpected UK-wide elections in 2019, and all the financial reports reflect that. Since devolution, there has not been a comparable year for election campaigns and costs.”     

So, what can you say to that? Well, you could point to the fact that there has been a drop in income from membership fees. £103,194 in 2017 now £97,652 last year. Where did those people who held memberships go, and why did they go? Why has there been a dramatic decline in fundraising and business events? Admittedly this only generated £53,765 in 2015, but explain why they have collapsed every year since? How is it that in 2019, the Scottish Labour Party is said to have raised just £250? Could the arguments be raised that: 

the voter base hasn't be serviced well

the membership base hasn't been serviced well

the activist base hasn't been serviced well

the business base hasn't been serviced well 

Finally, a car is like an organisation, it will run and run until it breaks down, when it happens the driver in this case, Richard Leonard has a choice to make. The vehicle he is driving hasn't won its major prize since 2003. He can continue driving round the Holyrood track, but his vehicle doesn't have the power to take the chequered flag for the Bute House carparking space. New oil won't help, no filters won't help, new tyres won't help because the reality is a major rebuild must take place. Can Richard Leonard recognise that is his only viable option? His real test is not Holyrood 2021, that would be unfair on him, his test is 2024, the Westminster election, if the party is not fixed by then he will be seen as the leader who kept the party out of power for two decades in Scotland, not a tag he wants on his CV. 

Yours sincerely

George Laird                                                                                                                                The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University