Alex Salmond was once the SNP’s best electoral asset – now he is a liability.
The novelty has worn off, the goodwill gone. First minister Alex Salmond, at his peak, was an icon of Scotland standing tall, now he is a symbol of bombast. The emperor has new clothes.
Mr Salmond was such a formidable leader in the run-up to the 2007 Scottish parliament elections, the SNP’s changed the name of their party for the regional list vote to “Alex Salmond for first minister,” so sure they were of his electoral appeal. Just three years on, sage journalists amongst the Holyrood press corps are speculating that Alex Salmond may not even lead the SNP into the next election.
Pinning down the exact point when the tide changed is difficult. Was it the dodgy dealings with big business? The demise of the ‘Arc of Prosperity’? The broken promises? The release of Megrahi? Or simply the growing realisation that Scotland now has a credible alternative, a leader in waiting, Iain Gray – Scotland’s next first minister.
Iain launched his bid for the Labour leadership in the summer of 2008. Scottish Labour was bruised and sore. An election defeat, compounded by Wendy Alexander’s ill-fated leadership and persecution by the Scottish press provided the backdrop to a difficult by election campaign Glasgow East. Labour lost badly that night and Alex Salmond seized every opportunity to proclaim that an earthquake had struck at the heart of Scotland’s political landscape.
Margaret Curran MP MSP is an institution in the Scottish Labour party, she is well loved and an acutely effective communicator. When she lost Glasgow East, the pain for the party was personal and deep. It was therefore hugely significant that Margaret Curran placed her trust in Iain Gray and endorsed his campaign as the road to recovery. Iain won the leadership election comfortably and has stabilised the party with an air of calm and dignity.
That renewed party delivered outstanding results in the Glenrothes and Glasgow North East by elections and saw Labour hold all its seats at the general election, and win two back.
Iain Gray’s back story and hinterland is far more colourful than his monotone name suggests. He was a teacher in Edinburgh’s Gracemount during the 1980s when Thatcher shattered the hopes and aspirations of a generation. He moved to Mozambique to teach, and that experience opened his eyes to the injustices of the world, leading him to a 12 year stint as Oxfam’s Scottish campaigns director.
In the run up to the devolution referendum, Iain was the Edinburgh organiser for the ‘Yes Yes’ campaign. The Scottish parliament is in his blood and little frustrates him more than to see Alex Salmond undermine its power, its possibilities and its will.
During his leadership campaign, Iain also took on the issue of national identity by stating that he was just as Scottish as Alex Salmond. Just as proud of our nation and its history.
The Scottish Cringe, which the SNP were so keen to attach to Labour’s lack of belief in its own identity was neutralised. It even became a label for Salmond to wear when he was roundly ridiculed for launching a new shortbread tin for a Scottish high street store whilst Scottish banks collapsed around him.
Iain is not afraid to be serious about his politics and it is not a critique that concerns him. Those who know Iain well boast about his caustic wit, but he sees little room for humour in a job so important. During his leadership campaign he said:
“I do not mind humour in politics, nor political rough and tumble. I do mind seeing the parliament Scotland was so proud of in 1999 treated this way, its legislative powers underused, its scrutiny ignored and its stature diminished.”
When Iain became leader, Labour were 16 points behind the SNP in the polls. A month ago, a TNS poll published by The Herald put Labour 16 points ahead in the constituency vote. Turned into seats, that result would not only see the SNP resoundingly kicked out of office, but it could see Labour a whisker away from being the first party to command a majority in the parliament’s history.
Of course that is a challenge and nobody, least of all Iain, thinks the journey ahead is easy. But having stabilised the party, then united it, there is a growing confidence that Iain will lead it to victory and proudly serve as Scotland’s next first minister.
Scottish or otherwise this piece made me “cringe”. I thought Progress was meant to be intelligent, thoughtful, and, maybe, even honest.
Salmond and the SNP may lose power in May, Ian Gray, sorry “Ian”, may be a nice chap, but please save us from such blatant and crap propaganda.
John am interested to learn what you think is wrong with the piece other than the fact it gives someone a good write-up – is the author wrong in what she says?
Yes David the author (who works for Iain Gray) is wrong to praise her boss on what is termed a “progressive” website. In case there are any actual progressives reading this Scottish Labour, under Iain Gray’s leadership, has become for electoral purposes a hardline law and order party with a moral compass somewhat to the right of Norman Tebbit. If you read the Official Report of First Minister’s Questions for 1 July. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-10/sor0701-01.htm You will see that Iain Gray supports mandatory sentencing of anyone found in possession of a knife (regardless of whether or not they use it) and is opposed to SNP penal reform to scrap short sentences. Fair enough you might think – that’s a point of view. Not a very progressive one but still a point of view. However look at how Iain Gray argues his case. Because Alex Salmond opposes mandatory sentencing and supports scrapping short sentences Iain Gray accuses him of being on the side of criminals and of not caring about victims. Classic Daily Mail mentality.
I’m afraid that I have to agree with the first comments. What on earth is ‘progressive’ in this? Fair enough, big up your boss as the next leader in the Scottish Parliament but on what grounds is the current Scottish Labour Party progressive? As far as I can see they are aiming fairly and squarely for the right wing populist vote…boo Megrahi ..boo knives boo anything remotely that seems to stand for prgressive social justice. I could care less if Margaret Curren is a Labour institution. The instution of Labour, especially in its hegemonic postion for a generation or more in Glasgow has left many of the people there in desperate straits. And I dont want to hear the guff that this is the fault of the SNP…Labour has ruled the West of Scotland for 40 years and had 3 terms in the UK to change things and the progress seems to be to the bottom of any measure of wealth and health you care to use in measurement.
Its all very well licking your lips at the thought of ‘absolute power’, but you will need to forgive me if I hold back from cracking open the champagne..if the evidence of the past is anything to go by we would simply be in for the same old same old….
Happy to debate the issues at the heart of the article but also keen to clarify that I DO NOT work for Iain Gray.
This hagiography is the funniest political piece I’ve read in a while. While he may be able to walk on water Ian Gray is not a progressive, he is an uninspiring reactionary politician struggling to find any idea other than to oppose the SNP at all times, and if Labour activists are believing the reheated Labour press-releases that pass for journalism in Scotland they are in for a shock next year.
IAN GRAY,,NEXT FIRST MINISTER. WAKE UP GIRL,,HAVE YOU NOT BEEN WATCHING FMQs. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN LIFTED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE HOOTSMAN.
It is very, very sad that someone such as Kezia Dugdale-very likely to become an MSP-proves herself here to be such a total Labour apparatchik. I am sure it is true that she does not work for Gray-I believe it was that paragon of virtue Lord Foulkes that she worked for. No doubt she thinks he is wonderful too, though many-even in the Labour Party-might disagree.
In this Panglossian alternative universe these is no connect with the lives of real people – no mention here of Iain Gray’s opposition to fiscal autonomy, the only future for the Scottish people if we are to have the tools to tackle the economic crisis, a crisis largely originating with …. Labour. And what about Labour’s slavish devotion to PFI, a rip off ‘policy’ beloved by the City fat cats, but responsible for hoovering up tens of millions in public money that would otherwise go to front line services. Ditto Labour’s obsession with Trident & nuclear, the list goes on. To be charitable, perhaps Kezia has been working too long for Lord Fooksie, time she got out and about & checked out the real world.