When you loose, you dust yourself off and try to pull back. See where you went wrong. Loose some people, get some new ones maybe...
When you win you are supposed to take that win and build on it.
So I would have expected the Tories and Labour to build on what they had won. On a promise from Gordon Brown, backed by the prime minister, of devo max, I was waiting for Labour to try to reconcile the winning, with the fact that they lost in their traditional heartlands... the big industrialised cities. Build this devo plus, fight what clearly Labour supporters hated ... the rule from London on so many things, by one Tory MP, elected on the border with England.
Maggie Curran, to be fair, seemed to get it. "We need to be more left wing, more proper Labour", she said, then promptly stabbed Lamont in the back and they elected arch right winger Jim Murphy, big hitter, as their Scottish branch leader.
We were all supposed to be terrified.
So building on the success of the referendum victory, Jim lost all Labour's seats bar the one in the poshest part of Edinburgh. The Malcolm Rifkind seat.
Of course, in politics success tends to be transitory. And we should understand that basically parties tend to loose, rather than win elections.
English Labour have seen what the Scottish branch didn't and have elected a Labour leader. We all know what problems they have brought upon themselves with that...but it was the right thing to do. The alternative was to always be the stop gap when the Tories were exhausted.
In Scotland with a year behind her, and having reached pretty much rock bottom, how are we expecting Kezia (and Ruth) to do in the next election? Oh yeah, nearly forgot, and Willie Whatsit? Building on the success of their joint operation to bring down the SNP?
It's not. I don't remember the FM announcing it; I don't remember parliament discussing it, and in any case we should have to get Fluffy's permission, and he wouldn't give it. (Fluffy is a very very important man. He's in the British Cabinet. Therefore one of the most important people in the world. He has to give permission for any referenda that we have.)
So I guess right now, we're not having one.
So, as I asked, how is the general election campaign going? Kez confident of being First Minister in May? Jackie finessed her budget?
Its the long road back for Labour but more important its being on the right (well the left ) road is more important.
The first Minster of Scotland position isn't worth a warm bucket of piss as was once said. The snp will destroy itself choosing to be like economic torys or left leaning socialists. and like new labour the economic snp torys will win....... it make take a while but is inevitable now i will probably be dead before we see a fairer gentler world but i would like to help it on its way..
So, the question is Niko. Why did a party that has dominated Scottish politics, which has the Scottish press and the BBC behind it, go off the rails so spectacularly?
Becaus only when they know the answer to that, will they be able to make the way back.
of course like any party the SNP will become less popular over time, although it may be hard to see that currently. It will of course happen.
How will Labour make sure that THEY win back these voters?
I noticed that in Spain two new parties took a mass of votes away from the standard left and right. Could Rise do that in Scotland?
they became the establishment but the problem is the real establishment are the torys and in the end the people chose the real McCoy now if labour had remained a genuine opponent of and not a bedfellow too the torys mayhap we would not be in such a pickle.
the snp will decide for hard capitalism and lots in the snp wont want it but keep quiet in hope much like what they did to new labour. But the trajectory of the snp will leave those supporters far behind..as ever
Well, I'm not sure that they will with Nicola...and you'll remember that the membership told the leadership NO in the matter of land reform. That of course could cause its own problems. Who knows in this newly politicised country.
Have to wonder about those who say Labour is no opposition to the torys and are the ones who said we should of as Harriet wanted and voted for austerity/
being a pale version of the conservatives is not being the opposition/alternative just merely an extension of tory rule.
I've been saying for ages that Harriet and her mates are wrong.
If people want a right wing administration, they will almost certainly vote Tory. They are the professionals at being hard right bastards. The only reason Blair got in was after 18 years people were sick of them... all their reasonably competent ones had been caught fiddling or shagging, and the reason Labour managed to stay was that the had Hague, IDS and Howard as leaders... Who in the name of god would vote for any of them?
In normal times, if people want Tories, they will vote Tory.
Agreeing with the Tories, like Harriet, and Hilary seem to like doing, only pisses of real Labour voters.
I hope there are enough of them to make sure that the Blairites don't get their way.
Well, the referendum was in 2014.
ReplyDeleteWhen you loose, you dust yourself off and try to pull back. See where you went wrong. Loose some people, get some new ones maybe...
When you win you are supposed to take that win and build on it.
So I would have expected the Tories and Labour to build on what they had won. On a promise from Gordon Brown, backed by the prime minister, of devo max, I was waiting for Labour to try to reconcile the winning, with the fact that they lost in their traditional heartlands... the big industrialised cities. Build this devo plus, fight what clearly Labour supporters hated ... the rule from London on so many things, by one Tory MP, elected on the border with England.
Maggie Curran, to be fair, seemed to get it. "We need to be more left wing, more proper Labour", she said, then promptly stabbed Lamont in the back and they elected arch right winger Jim Murphy, big hitter, as their Scottish branch leader.
We were all supposed to be terrified.
So building on the success of the referendum victory, Jim lost all Labour's seats bar the one in the poshest part of Edinburgh. The Malcolm Rifkind seat.
Of course, in politics success tends to be transitory. And we should understand that basically parties tend to loose, rather than win elections.
English Labour have seen what the Scottish branch didn't and have elected a Labour leader. We all know what problems they have brought upon themselves with that...but it was the right thing to do. The alternative was to always be the stop gap when the Tories were exhausted.
In Scotland with a year behind her, and having reached pretty much rock bottom, how are we expecting Kezia (and Ruth) to do in the next election? Oh yeah, nearly forgot, and Willie Whatsit? Building on the success of their joint operation to bring down the SNP?
Oh well.
tris
ReplyDeleteAnd just how is referendum 2 going ?
It's not. I don't remember the FM announcing it; I don't remember parliament discussing it, and in any case we should have to get Fluffy's permission, and he wouldn't give it. (Fluffy is a very very important man. He's in the British Cabinet. Therefore one of the most important people in the world. He has to give permission for any referenda that we have.)
ReplyDeleteSo I guess right now, we're not having one.
So, as I asked, how is the general election campaign going? Kez confident of being First Minister in May? Jackie finessed her budget?
I answered your question. Will you answer mine?
tris
ReplyDeleteIts the long road back for Labour but more
important its being on the right (well the left ) road is more important.
The first Minster of Scotland position isn't
worth a warm bucket of piss as was once said.
The snp will destroy itself choosing to be like
economic torys or left leaning socialists.
and like new labour the economic snp torys will win.......
it make take a while but is inevitable now i will probably be dead before we see a fairer
gentler world but i would like to help it on its way..
So, the question is Niko. Why did a party that has dominated Scottish politics, which has the Scottish press and the BBC behind it, go off the rails so spectacularly?
ReplyDeleteBecaus only when they know the answer to that, will they be able to make the way back.
of course like any party the SNP will become less popular over time, although it may be hard to see that currently. It will of course happen.
How will Labour make sure that THEY win back these voters?
I noticed that in Spain two new parties took a mass of votes away from the standard left and right. Could Rise do that in Scotland?
tris
ReplyDeletethey became the establishment but the problem is the real establishment are the torys and in the end the people chose the real McCoy now if labour had remained a genuine opponent of
and not a bedfellow too the torys mayhap we would not be in such a pickle.
the snp will decide for hard capitalism and lots in the snp wont want it but keep quiet
in hope much like what they did to new labour.
But the trajectory of the snp will leave those
supporters far behind..as ever
Well, I'm not sure that they will with Nicola...and you'll remember that the membership told the leadership NO in the matter of land reform. That of course could cause its own problems. Who knows in this newly politicised country.
Deletetris
ReplyDeleteHave to wonder about those who say Labour is no
opposition to the torys and are the ones who said we should of as Harriet wanted and voted for austerity/
being a pale version of the conservatives is not being the opposition/alternative just merely an extension of tory rule.
I've been saying for ages that Harriet and her mates are wrong.
ReplyDeleteIf people want a right wing administration, they will almost certainly vote Tory. They are the professionals at being hard right bastards. The only reason Blair got in was after 18 years people were sick of them... all their reasonably competent ones had been caught fiddling or shagging, and the reason Labour managed to stay was that the had Hague, IDS and Howard as leaders... Who in the name of god would vote for any of them?
In normal times, if people want Tories, they will vote Tory.
Agreeing with the Tories, like Harriet, and Hilary seem to like doing, only pisses of real Labour voters.
I hope there are enough of them to make sure that the Blairites don't get their way.
me to
Delete