Scottish Labour - Back on Track...?

I read Wendy Alexander's "New Directions" publication last night. This was mostly at the suggestion of Kezia Dugdale who threw down the gauntlet to SNP supporters in a recent post but I have to admit it was partly due to a two hour football game which rendered me only good for lying on the couch for the rest of Monday evening!

I have to admit, I was surprised by the document. And given I've not been particularly impressed with Labour's reaction to being in opposition, that surprise is a compliment to the writers. Overall, I found the theme to be one of optimism and humility. A highly attractive combination from anyone working in the public domain.

Infact, the only bad thing I can say about it is that there are two blank pages in it so it's not very environmentally friendly given the waste of paper from anyone printing it out.

But, this is a rare positive Labour post so I will continue in that vein. I thought the general tone was perhaps lifted from that of Barack Obama's campaign. "Change is what we do" and "we must listen to the people, listen to their hopes and aspirations". All positive stuff and tapping into a mentality that only the meanest of humans would not be happy to share in.

Further to that, there were 77 mentions of Labour, 23 mentions of SNP and only 2 of Alex Salmond. For once, this wasn't a mere attack paper but Labour are standing up and setting out what they plan to achieve.


I blogged a while back on what Labour required to do in order to win my vote. With this publication Wendy has already ticked four of the five boxes. She is moving to be a more natural leader in freely expressing her views and that can turn her into a leader to be looked up to. She has provided clarity on what it is exactly that Labour stand for. She has captured some of the optimism that the SNP have had a monopoly on for the last year. And there are a few speculative policies in the document also, an ambition to aim high for Scotland.

Of course, it's not all marshmallows and roses for Labour as they seek to overcome the mighty SNP. The untimely comments of Henry McLeish have put something of a spanner in Labour's good work. But then, the timing is so awkward for Labour, less than a week before their conference, that one has to think that it is deliberate. A man with such a bitter chip on his shoulder starts to lose credibility so I doubt his comments will affect voters' opinions as his rants no doubt continue.

Perhaps Henry McLeish should stand for the SNP as Sam Galbraith suggests. The SNP have already nicked his old constituency of Fife Central thanks to Tricia Marwick's good work but I'm sure there's a Labour stronghold somewhere that Henry could have a crack at if he is really serious about sticking the boot into Labour.

But Henry is small fry compared to the problems Gordon Brown poses for Scottish Labour. His recent comments that "when Jack McConnell lost the election" just goes to show how delusional the man is. His reluctance to share in the blame is in contrast to Wendy's understanding of the situation. Her apology to the Labour conference was derided in some circles but it showed a humility and grace that will be required before they can increase their showing in the polls. And this new publication takes that grace one step further as it is mixed with some steel and determination to fight for Scotland and win respect.

Of course, whether Wendy's humility and grace is genuine is another question but that's almost irrelevant as even if she knows she has to act that way rather than be that way, she is taking the Scottish Labour party down the correct road and if they can continue marching in this direction, despite the McLeish's and Brown's pulling them off-track, then they will go a long way to winning back popularity, positive poll placings and, ultimately, power in Scotland where, deep down, they no doubt still feel they belong.