When Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont address’s the Labour faithful in Brighton this weekend, she will be faced with two key challenges.
When Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont address’s the Labour faithful in Brighton this weekend, she will be faced with two key challenges.
With less than a year to go until Scottish voters go to the polls and decide their fates, for many, the option they would prefer, namely devo max, simply isn’t on the ballot paper. For those seeking to maintain Scotland’s place at the heart of the union, the challenge is to establish a credible, cross-party offer to the voters, one that gives them confidence that voting to reject independence will not be a vote for the status quo.
Lamont needs to set out that vision and a path towards a united, Better Together approach to the powers to be provided to Holyrood, or else face the risk of Scotland sleepwalking its way to separation.
The gauntlet will today be laid by shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander who, in a speech in his Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituency, will call for all parties, including the SNP, to come together and establish a strong and durable offer for the future of devolution in the event of a rejection of Alex Salmond’s pet project.
Alexander, who earlier this year called for a national convention on the future of Scotland, will tell (£) those assembled that despite the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives having given a positive response to his call, Labour needs to go one step further. He will explain:
“All sides of this debate have an interest in the referendum outcome being respected. So if, in a year’s time, Scotland does reject separation, then why shouldn’t Nationalists too come to see a National Convention as a constructive means to discuss, deliberate and decide together on what our better future within the UK looks like?
“For while the answer to the question put in a year’s time will resolve whether or not Scots want to be a nation separate from the rest of the UK, the deeper question as to what kind of Scotland we want to be will not be resolved.”
In what is being seen as an attempt to secure the support of those within the Labour Party who have been reluctant to commit even to the principle of further devolution, he will declare:
“I hope that such a National Convention could become a shared commitment by those parties who believe that Scotland’s better future lies within the United Kingdom.”
Attacking the tone of the debate on both sides meanwhile, Alexander will conclude that the campaigns so far have become “arid, acrimonious”, an argument that is failing to chime with the priorities of Scottish people.
Johann Lamont’s second challenge in Brighton, meanwhile, will be to restore Labour’s credibility as an alternative government-in waiting north of the border. Over two years after the SNP secured a historic, single party majority in the Scottish parliament, the polling on voting intentions remains weak for Scottish Labour.
Ipsos MORI’s Scottish Public Opinion Monitor shows that, among those certain to vote, 41 per cent would vote for the SNP, up two points since May, whilst Labour remains four points behind on 37 per cent, an increase of just one point since May.
Asked about the leaders of the Scottish Parties, Alex Salmond has managed, for now, to halt the decline in his satisfaction rating with a net satisfaction rating of +8 – up 6 points since May. Johann Lamont is on trails on +6, up 1 point, although Ipsos Mori point out that “a third of Scots still do not know enough about the Scottish Labour leader to provide a rating”.
Commenting on the results, Christopher McLean, senior researcher at Ipsos MORI Scotland, said:
“Over two years on from their landslide victory in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, the SNP remain the most popular party among voters in Scotland. Indeed, the SNP’s popularity is aided by the high levels of satisfaction with the party’s leading figures as both the first minister and deputy first minister continue to achieve high approval ratings.
“Scottish Labour continue to make progress under Johann Lamont and are close behind the SNP. However, a third of voters remain unable to rate the Scottish Labour leader’s performance, suggesting that more could be done to improve her profile among voters.”
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8 Responses to “Scottish Labour needs to make itself relevant this weekend”
Juteman
As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Before the 1979 referendum, we were promised extra powers by the British Nationalists if we voted No, We voted Yes, but a late addition to the rules by a Labour MP over-ruled democracy. Nothing changes, eh?
A simple majority wasn’t enough, 40% of the total electorate now must vote Yes! By this con trick, non-voters and the dead were counted as No voters.
Anyway, the main event this weekend is the Indy Rally in Edinburgh. No doubt Pravda, sorry the BBC will give it full coverage.
Juteman
As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Before the 1979 referendum, we were promised extra powers by the British Nationalists if we voted No, We voted Yes, but a late addition to the rules by a Labour MP over-ruled democracy. Nothing changes, eh?
A simple majority wasn’t enough, 40% of the total electorate now must vote Yes! By this con trick, non-voters and the dead were counted as No voters.
Anyway, the main event this weekend is the Indy Rally in Edinburgh. No doubt Pravda, sorry the BBC will give it full coverage.
cynicalhighlander
The unionists were united that there should be only one question and nothing more because they had no intention of giving anymore powers to Holyrood ever. All we have heard is that Westminster will bypass the SG and deal directly with local government so nullifying the SG roll because they know that the Scottish branch of the Labour party are incapable of linking two sentences together let alone running any form of coherent policies to suit the Scottish people rather than their rich friends.
Vote Yes to make Scottish history. Vote No to make Scotland history.
cynicalhighlander
The unionists were united that there should be only one question and nothing more because they had no intention of giving anymore powers to Holyrood ever. All we have heard is that Westminster will bypass the SG and deal directly with local government so nullifying the SG roll because they know that the Scottish branch of the Labour party are incapable of linking two sentences together let alone running any form of coherent policies to suit the Scottish people rather than their rich friends.
Vote Yes to make Scottish history. Vote No to make Scotland history.
Chrisso
“Lamont needs to set out that vision and a path towards a united, Better Together approach to the powers to be provided to Holyrood, or else face the risk of Scotland sleepwalking its way to separation.” Haha! Yes, just claim the Scots are ‘asleep,’ why not. They are actually wide awake to the vibrant potential of self-determination after independence.
Secondly, whilst the negative ‘No’ campaign, supported by Scottish and UK Labour, fails to give assurances that Scottish Parliament will gain additional powers if the referendum result is ‘No’ – indeed siren voices wail that the existing powers under the devolution settlement should be stripped away – the imperative to vote ‘Yes’ will swell further. Labour in Scotland is being tarnished by this recidivist attitude so yes, the polling on voting intentions indeed remains ‘weak for Scottish Labour’. Scottish Labour is indeed weak. The Ipsos Mori point that “a third of Scots still do not know enough about the Scottish Labour leader to provide a rating” says it all – Johann Lamont is seen as ‘Mrs Grumpy’ north of the border and in social media and that can’t help.
Thirdly, the elephant in the article-room is the failure to mention the mass rally for independence taking place today in Edinburgh. Is that because it’s at the opposite end of the British Isles from Brighton? Or because the No campaign dare not rally their own supporters?
Time to get real LFF! I’m English but I do seem to have a better grip on the Scottish political dynamics than your unionist writers. Cameron’s BIG mistake was to avoid a Devo Max option in the referendum. Salmond did not rule it out, Cameron did. And sealed the deal without any olive branch or escape route for the Union.