By focusing on the perils of independence, we discovered that ‘divorce is an expensive business’ had long passed its expiry date. The voters are no longer scared of an independence referendum, because they are aware that all they have to do, if they’re not in favour of separation, is vote no.
By organising our activists in a key seats strategy, the core of which was developed for the 1997 election campaign, we found out that where we needed to be active was in our own backyard. I left my own constituency, Glasgow Anniesland, at around noon to head over to Glasgow Southside to try and help the excellent candidate, Stephen Curran, get elected. We lost Glasgow Anniesland by seven votes. That will haunt me.
By concentrating our efforts on getting out our core vote we learned two things: that it’s not good enough when another party’s vote is collapsing and one of the key minority parties has decided not to field constituency candidates this time round; secondly, contact sheets with information gained during the Westminster election campaign can no longer be relied upon to be accurate for a Holyrood campaign.
We need to learn these lessons.
We’ve been criticised for spending the past 12 years trying to scare the Scottish electorate. I’m not sure that’s really our main fault. I think it’s us who’ve been scared, and it’s time to step away from that into the future.
The Scottish Labour party behind closed, and sometimes not so closed, doors likes to assert that, left to our own devices, we’d be much more radical, much more innovative, much more Labour. We like to blame Middle England and Blairism for holding us back from our enacting policies rooted in our core values, but in Holyrood, what’s to stop us but ourselves?
Sometimes we like to blame the electorate for our dedication to the middle of the road, but perhaps the time has come to question who is the more conservative, the voters, or the Scottish parliamentary Labour party?
After the last election we looked at individual policy streams, we consulted widely, but what we ended up with was a series of solid, sensible policies, yet with no central narrative, no distinctive vision for a better Scotland. Unsurprisingly, that’s what the electorate is looking for: a better Scotland.
I love the Scottish Labour party, I’m proud of our history and what we’ve achieved, but for us to move forward as a party, we have to do that in the reality of a post-devolution, more assertive, more confident Scotland. A Scotland with problems that won’t be solved by nationalism, but a Scotland with possibilities and opportunities. A Scotland where we don’t work for, or even with, ‘the people’, but instead are a part of an ongoing mass political and social movement, a new way of life that is more equitable and more just, a Scottish way of life.
I think your insight that we need to look at some of the nuts and bolts of our election mechanics is spot on. By over focusing on key votes in key constituencies we managed to not notice let alone capture the legions of voters that were switching between other parties. My other big criticisim is our inablity to create policy differences in the campaign. We seemed to follow a “me too” strategy, not wanting to be seen to be offering less than the Nats. The shame of it is I think there were policies in the manifest that we could have pushed to the fore that were distinctive. The plus one scheme for small businesses is one which could have had real popular appeal if it had bee properly promoted.
I stumbled across this blog in looking at SNP success comments. I see enough honesty of commitment and intent to offer a contribution. It is a ‘tough love’, no holds barred framework for change. The more brutal you find it – the more you need it. I’ve been tempted into re-posting a comment made on Labour Uncut – prior to the Election rout. With some added sharpening. Someone needs to tell you all, that you have political BO. One part of me would just love you all to go on shouting ‘wolf’ about the so-called perils of independence’ (trying looking at the ‘perils of continuing in the Union’ as Britain goes down the gurgler) Blair and Brown stuffed the economy and Cameron will double stuff it. After the next Scots Elections, SLP will be in the same meltdown as the Liberals are now if you stick patches on and continue the status quo. The observer sees the patterns and trends. Those engaged see the trees not the wood. ‘Fear of independence’. A load of tosh – people always fear change – and wonder what the fuss was about afterwards. The sky didn’t fall in with an SNP win, it will not fall with the re-election of the SNP, nor with a referendum, nor with independence which is coming as sure as eggs is eggs. Fear keeps you nice and safe and conservative. Labour the party of tradition, unchangingness, the status quo and locked into the establishment – remind me how many Lords you have now? So who offers the advice? I am an economist and an expert in organisational change. To declare my loyalties, I come from 3 generations of ‘Home Rule/SNP supporters. (People forget the generations of effort and past near successes of the nationalist movement. Grandparents supported the Home Rule wave that damn near got Scotland out of the Union pre-WWII) Both parents were war volunteers – did not have to be conscripted to fight those other imperialists, the Germans, and always supported the Independance cause, before, during and after the War. Try checking the way the imperialists buried the Scottish Covenant and killed the hopes of a generation. Or rigged the first devolution referendum. I donated years of successful effort to branch building for the SNP. I will never vote for any imperialist pro-Union party. Ever. So this advice is from a professional and apolitical international observer with no axe to grind as to whether you heed it or not. As you will see by reading below, the SNP are in a Win-Win situation. 1. Threat – All Parties have a life span. After 150 years, it is no surprise that Labour are in terminal stages of political degeneracy, dotage and near death. Get it through your heads. The result says: You have lost your identity, the trust of the people, lost your collective integrity and ethics, lost your way – big time. Yes you got a big vote at the UK GE – that was when you were the Party to defend Scotland against the Tories. The public saw it did not work – and switched massively to the SNP for Holyrood. I’ll stake the farm that next GE they don’t switch back to you. End game. 2. Potential – Some Parties die. (Scottish Tories are on a drip, LibDems are marginalised – literally) Others rebirth themselves. A painful, stressful and ‘bloody’ process usually. 3. To rebirth requires ‘heretical’ thinking. Shock horror! Here is some. 4. Hegel had it right, Marx merely copied him – all political systems and processes work in cycles of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. Applied to Labour, ‘Thesis’ stage was being Clause 4 Socialist (some want to go back there, don’t fancy your chances) Antithesis stage was the switch over from ‘socialist’ Labour which had got paler and paler – to ‘New Labour’ – becoming more free enterprise, greed is good, PFI, bonus culture etc etc than the Tories. Blair and Brown out-Herod’d Herod by outdoing Thatcher and outdid the damage she did, particularly to Scotland by being even more centralist, Londoncentric, imperialist, autocratic, nannying, and grandstanding that she did. Oh and add sheer breathtaking incompetence. Goes with being sneering, patronising, assuming ‘superiority, self-righteousness, and moral, ethical and political corruption. Just read The Scotsman or Guardian comments columns. So: Synthesis is, potentially for a new, future, deliberately created Labour Party Scotland – for example, the best of the core values and policies of socialism (morphed into social democracy in these days) PLUS the best of the values, attitudes and policies of the free enterprise, liberty and freedom of the individual of the Antithesis. Which New Labour thought that it adopted – but applied so incredibly badly in the Blair/Brown fiascos. Get it clear, the electorate see it as a Labour disaster, no matter party denial. PROBLEM – for ‘Scottish’ Labour – the SNP are way ahead of you. They already ARE the successful Synthesis of balanced Best of Left and Right political traditions; which makes them both electorally streets ahead and totally baffling to Labour supporters stuck in an Either-Or mindset. HINT. Try thinking BOTH. Eg. ‘How do we use the tradition for working class focus and care AND encourage self-sufficiency, confidence, self development and social awareness, community mindedness AND encourage individual growth and success?” (Second Hint – Not by a bonus/expenses grab culture) CHOICES: Labour can try ‘returning to its socialist roots – unlikely to succeed. the world has moved on, for good or ill. Try cleaned, up, improved, ‘newer, brighter, washes pinker’ brand of ‘NOO, Noo Labour’ – selling to a cynical, marketing-savvy audience who are conspicuously not ‘buying it’ in this or the General Election. Continue purely passive negative, and aggressive opposition as a ‘branch office of Imperial London Labour’. Sure road to defeat and disintegration – but the one most likely to fit the McTernan/Dugdale/Baillie school of thought and the bitter Labour activist mood in the coming years. Try doing a ‘me too’ and slavishly copy SNP policies – after first opposing them off course. Worked a real treat, didn’t it? if you will pardon the sarcasm. “When all else has failed, try recognising and facing reality’ (As yet, ‘all else’ has yet to fail, so dig this advice out again after the NEXT shock defeats). These election results say that the people of Scotland have decided “Yes there is a Scottish nation, no we are not just a province of England with priority being ‘sending messages to Westminster’. We have needs, hopes, aspirations and desires. WE the people are the focus – not bloody Westminster. The SNP did well and deserve a go. Labour are lost, negative, incompetent, shonky, uninspired and uninspiring. The Tories are gone, the LibDems are shot” Yeah. You got your core vote out – and the SNP topped it. That is just starters. FRAMEWORK FOR RE-BIRTH Re-birth the Party by going back to reinventing a SCOTTISH Labour Party that is truly in tune with core values AND the Scots electorate AND sings that and no other song. WARNING You cannot be ‘ a little bit pregnant’ You cannot be ‘ a little bit re-born’ as a Party. You cannot be a ‘little-bit-Scottish’ Labour. You cannot be BritNat and ScotNat Labour, You cannot be a ‘little bit honest, ethical and upright. If you want examples of what kind of sick political thinking to get rid off – take a close at the abysmal standards of the McTernans and Dugdales of your tainted flock. The Currans for negativity, the Purcells and Devines for corruption, Gray for honest bumbling ineffectualness. So what does Re-Birthing Scottish Labour to be Labour Scotland Party entail to generate the integrity, coherence, consistency, completeness and therefore credibility and potential? It has to be done at Six Levels of thinking, in both Political Theory and Practice. That is the magnitude of the re-thinking required. Almost certainly beyond so-called ‘Scottish Labour’ to accomplish, with or without a pasted-on Progress unit from London. LEVEL 1 Define, at a Theory level of abstraction, a complete new ‘left of centre’ political philosophy that takes account of not just the current but the evolving social, economic, political etc etc needs, aspirations, directions and momentum of where the Scottish nation is going and how the new Labour Scotland Party wishes to influence and help to shape that evolution. Define at a Practice level of abstraction, a new constitution, rule set, guidelines, ethical standards etc, together with participation, involvement and engagement process to democratise and reverse the existing centralised monopoly of policy making, power and control of the old order. Win the power struggle to overturn vested interests and power blocs and re-define the Party. Level 2 Make a choice. Continue sick and unhealthy ‘We are sour, passive, negative, sulky Angry Victims” attitiudes and values of the past. Eg garbage such as: ‘Win at all costs’ ‘A ‘good cause’ justifies lying, cheating, misrepresenting, attacking, belittling etc’ and all the other passive, negative and aggressive energy wasters so loved by Lie-bore activists. ‘Turning a blind eye to nepotism, corruption, sick practices, poor standards etc’ ‘Unethical, unprofessional, unrealistic demon-isation, opposition-for-the-sake-of opposition, sour negativity and lack of positive cooperative and constructive efforts’ ‘If all else fails get really dirty’ – McTernan OR Make a clean start with: Healthy, positive, proactive, constructive, cooperative, progressive and ‘life, hope and liberty’ values and aspirations. IE BE ‘Comrades’ – to all. Apply those new attitudes, values and approaches, uniformly, continuously and consistently, in the every day conduct of the new Party communications, internal interactions, expression by representatives, interactions in the political arenas especially with political opponents. Note opponents – not fake ‘Enemies’. Cut the crap and the bullshit rhetoric. LEVEL 3 Establish and maintain at all times an internal and external culture of: Future orientation Positive constructive endeavour Innovative and adaptive thinking, discussion, decision-making applied in both policies and practices, internally and externally. Respect for multiple realities. Instead of ‘one right way of thinking’ Try ‘ So, how do we jointly work out how to get what both of us see, think and want. for the good of all?’ In Practice, live that new culture, with colleagues, contacts, public, constituents, opposition, press, the world. LEVEL 4 Create a Party ethos that achieves a successful, creativity-enhancing, lively, engaging and highly constructive and adaptive policy generating internal process that works, balances idealism and realism, central control and direction with grass-roots sovereignty and control. Apply that ethos with integrity – no sham facades of pretendy participation. No ‘give the mugs a voice and then ignore them’ superiority, smug centralism, control freakery and all the other traits in abundance in London, pretendy Scottish, Labour. LEVEL 5 Apply ALL the above values, attitudes, methods, processes and procedures in campaign plans, thinking. expressed views opinions and articulated policies. Back ALL the above plus the immediate last sentence in the internal ethos, style, culture, communications and control processes of the new Party organisation. LEVEL 6 Exercise the collective healthy mentality, orientation, style, collective culture and in all undertakings by the Party. Practice the same, by each and every organisation member. No toleration of ‘near enough is good enough’, no ifs, buts, maybe’s. No backsliding and returning to old bad habits. Not once, not ever. Do ALL that and you will have rebirthed a new Labour Party Scotland that will have hope, promise, potential, integrity, honesty of purpose and behavior, and make an ongoing powerful contribution to improving the nation. ‘Think Global. Act Local’ Set a good enough example and others will copy and adopt best practices. Being internationalist sometimes means starting with the ‘local’ bit. Do you think ‘branch-factory management’ so-called ‘Scottish’ Labour can do all the above? Nope. Neither do I, but don’t say you never saw or were told what needed done. Good luck G’day
There are many SNP supporters who are also proud of what the Labour Party (as opposed to Scottish Labour, which doesn’t really exist) achieved historically. The NHS and the welfare state were astonishing achievements in the teeth of huge conservative opposition. Unfortunately, Labour isn’t now capable of this type of success, and has undertaken some tawdry work in the last decade or so (Iraq, ‘British jobs for British workers’, scaremongering on independence for Scotland, pro-nucleur power and weapons, foisting their B/C team on Holyrood etc). No wonder some of the best Labour people (Jimmy Reid and Tommy Brennan, for example) have embraced the SNP – and they are very welcome. The SNP now look like the Party that will make Scots proud of their achievements, including on social justice.
Excellent post Judith, I completely agree with the point about us missing a central narrative, and about the need to find new ways to be radical and stop finding excuses to stay on the over-crowded and unsatisfactory centre/centre-right ground. The time is now for renewal – or we are truly stuffed and will look back on 2011 as the beginning of the end.