Few people have taken their political party from the fringes of public debate to wielding untrammelled power. Clement Attlee eventually rebuilt Labour as a governing force in the United Kingdom after the near wipeout under the Tory-dominated national government in 1935. The principal achievement of Alex Salmond’s near quarter century leading the Scottish National party has been to effect a similar transformation in Scottish politics. In 1987, when Salmond won his first parliamentary seat in Banff and Buchan at the UK general election, the SNP polled a mere 14 per cent in Scotland and returned three seats. By 2011, in the landslide Holyrood win which led to this year’s referendum and which still causes reverberations in Scottish and UK politics, the SNP captured 45 per cent of the constituency votes and 44 per cent of the list votes in winning an overall majority in a parliament no single party was ever expected to dominate. He became a formidable electoral opponent for Scottish Labour. We have lessons to learn in the way he changed both the appeal of his party and shifted the electoral landscape.
As he stands down as Scotland’s longest serving first minister, does he leave behind a great social and legislative agenda in the way that Lyndon Johnson did as American president, or profound improvements in prosperity as the Australian Labor party delivered in government in the 1980s and 1990s? Are our schools or the quality of healthcare in Scotland transformed over the last seven years? Is Salmond-ism a governing philosophy that will survive his period in office?
The verdict must be no. Scotland could have had bold reforms on childcare to boost equality and the female employment rate, decentralisation of power downwards to local government, improvements in Glasgow’s shocking male life expectancy figures through more proactive health policies, and a focus on higher attainment levels in schools and further education. Instead it has faced up to fewer teachers, weakened colleges, centralisation at Holyrood, and political triangulation designed to win votes in a referendum. Important powers to shape public services, justice and transport left unused in an obsession to transfer all governing powers to Holyrood whatever the merits of doing so. For the last seven years, Scotland needed a unifier as first minister; instead it has had a divider. Around a quarter of a million Scots say relationships with family or friends have suffered as a result of the polarising effects of the referendum campaign. Salmond had so much power to shape Scotland for good, but has relatively little positive to show for all of it.
It is undeniable that the Scottish polity is significantly different than the UK’s a whole as a result of the Salmond era. Left-right politics still have an important role, but identity and constitutional politics are also here to stay. Labour has to show its willingness to deliver new financial and other powers to Holyrood if a more prosperous, more equal society can be created as a result. As the party which delivered devolution for Scotland, we must show we can be trusted in this new phase of its post-referendum development if we are to be trusted with the future of policing, schools or hospitals in Scotland. Confident in expressing what we are for, and for whom we stand, not permanently defined by who or what we are against. With the continued decline of the Liberal Democrats and the flatlining of the Scottish Conservatives, we must once again be the voice of the working and middle-class voters (whether ‘Yes’ supporters or ‘No’ supporters) who are looking for greater social and economic security in the midst of the economic winds of globalisation, for the majority who believe that all of society benefits when wealth, opportunity, and health are more equitably shared among rich and poor than at present, and offering the hope that the next generation can once again do better in terms of life outcomes than us.
Scottish Labour needs to embrace movement politics – involved in our communities, helping along grassroots campaigns for progressive change from better childcare to the living wage. If we can communicate this renewed sense of purpose and hope, Scottish Labour can learn the lessons of the Salmond era, renew our movement, usher in a new era of Scottish optimism about what we can achieve, and be in a position to seek the voters’ trust to govern – in Scotland and across the UK.
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William Bain is member of parliament for Glasgow North East. He tweets @William_Bain
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The SNP have done an excellent job in ensuring the Scots understand their policies & the SNP represents what Scots want.
If Scottish Labour is to have any influence there, we need to do the same – get out & about talking to people continuously. But first we need to ensure the promises made about extra powers being devolved to Scotland actually are put in place. Otherwise they will not believe a single word we say. We need to fight for Scotland & the 45% who voted for independence.
Sylvia, as an SNP & Green supporter, I would just like to thank you for your thoughtful assessment of the situation in Scotland. It’s refreshing to see someone from Labour who doesn’t exhibit the pathological hatred of those who support the SNP, as a knee jerk reaction.
You are absolutely right; that Labour must keep the Vow made by Gordon Brown, if they are to retain any credibility whatsoever in Scotland.
Alas, Labour have already put forward proposals to the Smith Commission that are less generous than even the Tories and the LibDems are offering.
That’s not really a very good start, is it?
I’m afraid that the selection of Jim Murphy (we all know it’s going to happen, don’t we) as the Leader of Labour in Scotland will be toxic to your voter share, come the GE. He will forever be associated with the Tories and the Westminster cabal, which increasing numbers of Scottish voters wish to reject, utterly.
You sound like a socially democratic kind of person, who cares about people.
Have you thought about joining the SNP or the Greens? ;o)
Poaching is now legal on Balmoral Estate?
What sticks in my craw, wee Eck ‘s flagrant disregard for the English voter and alienating Sassenachs south o’ the border, -pre 18/9/14- and now he is baa-ack putting his name down as PPC for United Kingdom’s Parliament at WM… smacks of duality : “Running with the Fox and Chasing with the Hounds”, we all know he had this Plan(B) arranged, he is a slick operator, like JR Ewing, he thinks on his feet: all these greedy Oil Barons have similar traits, But he shouldn’t be so blatantly quixotic – the UK voters [Scots included] are not thick.
The Scottish, Welsh, and NI assemblies are regional admin’ capitals, Manchester, Birmingham,Newcastle,Truro could the same. London is the Executive seat.
I would join the SNP but to what end? We have a United Kingdom Parliament in place, and why fix a thing that’s not broken?
Scottish Independence, I contend, is a selfish, egocentric dream. But dream on, we are free-thinking people in these Green Isles, and we are a democratic Nation, and votes count for the whole of the UK, not just Scotland.
Vote Labour, Jock, and become a united supporter – going it alone only works for hermits and loons. Ask any Rabbie Burns.
Oh well; it didn’t take long for the tribal Labour supporter to regale us with the narrow minded binary solutions to all the countries problems.
Vote Labour, Jock, he says, in a thinly veiled racist rant against the Scots. How typical of the sort of thing we had to put up with during the referendum campaign.
Well, for one thing I’m an Englishman – I just happen to live in Scotland and for another; in all the years that Labour have relied upon Scottish votes to see them in power . . . what exactly did they do for Scotland?
The last Labour government had 13 years in power, and in that time they managed to INCREASE the gap between the rich and the poor, they bailed out the Bankers (who caused the financial crash) with OUR money and completely failed to bring any of them to book for their crimes. Indeed; the bankers and the 1% are the only group in society (apart from MP’s) who have seen their salaries grow . . . paid for by the rest of us, as we struggle with “austerity”. The legacy of the mismanagement of the economy by both Labour and the Tories.
Oh yeah! Let’s not forget the illegal wars that Labour took us into.
The SNP are more popular than Labour, precisely because they now occupy the left of centre ground which your party vacated in order to pander to the elite and join them. How much does Blair make out of his Directorships of Banks and other Financial institutions?
And how much does Darling make out of his shares in private medical companies looking to take money out of the NHS?
And you have the nerve to call us hermits and loons?
Better that, than Red Tories and corrupt ones, at that!
Thanks for your comments. Good to know that someone sees me as a “thoughtful labour”. Maybe because I spent much of my life abroad, I tend to take a wider view of “political” matters. Scotland has had it’s own education & judicial system for centuries & have always been “different” from the English (& maybe Welsh & definitely NI).
If I lived in Scotland I would definitely vote SNP & would probably have supported independence vote. But I don’t so, yes, Greens are my only other option. But practically it will be one of the ‘big’ 2 parties who get most votes, so I will vote Labour but keep pushing for some form of PR & if there has to be a coalition I think Labour will be better with the SNP.
Like you I cannot understand why Labour HQ has put forward Murphy as the Scottish leader. It is very obvious (to me) that they should have chosen a Scottish MSP..
“You (to Roysteele) couldn’t care less about the Scots or the Northern Counties of
Britain . . . it’s all about what the Westminster elite want” is all too true. More so when Westminster Labour depends on Scottish MPs. I hope they do win the GE as the Scots will definitely have a better chance of more powers than under the Tories.
Sylvia; I appreciate your predicament, which is one that I’m sure many Labour supporters are facing.
They don’t really want to vote for the current right wing iteration of Labour, but then, they really have no choice in a 2 party state, unlike the people of Scotland who do; AND under a fairer proportional voting system, which ironically should favour Labour in Scotland, but doesn’t at all.
Perhaps that speaks volumes about how far Labour have sunk in the opinions of people who wish to see social justice, a fairer distribution of wealth, a protected and publicly funded NHS and the elimination of lobbying which has utterly corrupted our Parliament.
I moved from Surrey, to Scotland in 1987, simply to get away from the appalling Thatcherite “weak to the wall” – “Money is GOD!” meme that was current in London and the South at that time.
Who knows! If the SNP continue to prosper; the Northern counties of Merry England might even have a choice of SNP candidates to vote for! ;o)
How funny would that be? . . . To see the Tories (Both Blue & Red) being kicked out of the North of England as well as Scotland. :o)
Keep well.
‘We’ , ‘They’ ?
Kind thoughts for the Scots, but after 18/9/14 the ‘we’ includes the whole population of the British Isles for “at least a generation”.
Democracy works as long as you understand the dictionary meaning and not some spin-doctors re-arrangement of the term to suit his or her will randomly or alter its meaning on a knee-jerk whim to suit the changing political landscape.
Democracy is inviolate – that’s the rule.
It seems some Labour supporters, like Roy, prefer to display their wit and humour rather than respond to William’s article on how to renew Scottish Labour. Roy’s means of renewal seems to be to denigrate Salmond. Democracy is inviolate but it is also an on going process. If the UK government fails to deliver the vow of party leaders and Gordon Brown then a larger and larger proportion of the Scottish electorate may feel the have been violated.
William needs to remember that the SNP Government has had 7 years in power. Labour dominated Scotland for 50, and Glasgow for 80. Look around the Labour strongholds in the East end, Fife, Paisley if you want to see the lack of achievement and change. Labour now faces the problem that they can be outbid on the social democratic left of centre by the SNP and on the hard left by the SSP – and the ecological left by the Greens. Where will Labour position itself?
Forgive me Eliz, but by “wit & humour” I take it you in fact mean . . . crass stupidity.
It might be worth pointing out to Roy that the 2 projects most associated with Labour in Scotland are the Scottish Parliament building and the new Edinburgh tram system. Both of which were hugely over budget and late in completion.
The one project the SNP have overseen – the New Forth Bridge – is both on budget and on time.
THAT is why people are voting SNP . . . because they’re competent in government and they are trying to mitigate the damage being visited upon us by a Tory Government that we NEVER vote for.
You are right to ask where Labour will position itself . . . I don’t think they know what’s happening to them in Scotland . . . but I predict that their position will be “flat on their face” when the dust settles after the 2015 GE.
A week is a long time in Politics -7 mths is a very long time. Don’t count your haggis’ till they are cooked.
PS A quote from Patrick Harrrie MSP (SGP) ref’ Forth Bridge:
” Will it be completed by 2016? who knows? … costing £2.5bn for UK Taxpayer and Contractors comprising (FCBConsortium) included American Bridge Int’l, Dragados, Hochtief … promised 1000 jobs for locals .. but its extravagant, unnecessary and unpopular major project awarded as an ELECTION STUNT by the SNP.” No jokes, pure unadulterated facts.
Worth a look-see Margaret?
I presume you mean Patrick Harvie. Green MSP.
Well as you seem to have trouble discerning “fact” from “opinion” I will simply point out the “fact” that he; as a Green MSP, is entitled to look upon the construction of a new “road” bridge as wrong; that is his “opinion” which he is fully entitled to.
This however, does not change the “fact”; that it IS on time and it IS on budget.
And if it was just “an ELECTION STUNT” . . .
. . . well, it WORKED, DIDN’T IT! :o)
Your “opinion” that I must be a Margaret (Thatcher presumably?) supporter only re-enforces my supposition about your binary thought process.
If you’re not Labour . . .then you must be . . .a TORY!!!
Despite my having said that I support the SNP and the Greens.
You’re not very bright, are you Roy. Let me guess? . . . did they make you the “milk monitor” at school?
Awww! Bless. ;o)
The Silent Hunter hath spake -shake and tremble- “silent hunter”? says it all – hiding and sniggering behind nom de plume [pen name] is never a good indicator – you also has a Batman Cape and mask? Nigel F must love you , in fact “Silent Hunter” is Farage?
I was the milk monitor actually – but you are showing your age ducky.
Have a nice life. Vote Labour when you need [us], we forgive you.
Tata
Note to Roy:
When all you have is ad hominem attacks – then you know you’ve lost the argument. ;o)
… how to renew Scottish Labour? Fire the whole lot at Hollyrood tout de suite and go back to the drawing board. Too many committees, sub-c’ttees, and sub-sub-committees reporting to deaf ears. A public ballot would show that they prefer jobs and food on the table, better schooling the list goes on and on – employ more permanent staff up at Holyrood on half-pay? Better than just sitting around on the ‘dole’ or working [0] Zero hour contracts.
Where are all the promised jobs? South o’ the border.
Who said I voted for Labour? I think Alex Salmond is brilliant, but don’t agree with all his policies about Tories being banished from his Fiefdom etc – mindless rhetoric attracts a certain type of voter. Racism is in the eye of the beholder..
Got you talking to eachother and that was the intention – we discuss and debate in UK. For all that, voting for Ed Miliband & Labour UK I shall.
You don’t by any chance listen to “Count Arthur Strong” on Radio 4 do you?
You might immediately recognise yourself. :o)