Richard Leonard quits as Scottish Labour leader

[Nearly Sane]

What a great loss to Scottish politics!. More seriously, the only serious opposition to the SNP currently is the SNP. SLab just get more and more irrelevant


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55666234

[Gordon]

I've often watched him at First Minister's Questions and wondered if his 'contributions' were him auditioning for the part of Uriah Heep for the next time the BBC do a version of David Copperfield.

[Nearly Sane]

There aren't a lot of obvious candidates - Anas Sarwar, and ...

[Gordon]

There isn't a lot of obvious candidates - Anas Sarwar, and ...

I suspect he is the only obvious candidate.

Also saw a report today that the Scottish Tories are concerned that the much-vaunted (and Tory driven) Brexit, that saw them gain support in the fishing communities in the North East, will see that support disappear given the current problems involving getting Scottish product to the established EU market for them - I do hope that they are right!

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/14/mps-fishing-areas-criticise-government-brexit-red-tape

[Anchorman]

 Leonard tried - and failed - to be accepted as a Labour candidate tio succeed Cathy Jamieson (remember her?) in her consstituency. He actually made the effort to canvass, which is more than most Labour hopefuls have in recent years. Untill BLIS actually works out why it exists, no-one can lift it from its' present mess. I've heard Baillie and Sarwar - the usual suspects - are front runners...even that Gordon 'the vow' Brown was put forward as a possibility. None of these seem any motre capable than any of the last ten leaders who have mislead it in the past two decades.

[Nearly Sane]

I really think the best thing that SLAB can do is remove an official position on independence and leave it as a matter for individual members. That would then allow them to move away from the SNPBad stuff that ties them up in knots as they end up opposing stuff they agree with because the SNP proposes it.


They can then start saying rather that the Scot Govt is doing something badly, this is what we propose, vote for us. 

I can see the attraction for some in having Gordon Brown brought in but I think that would be a mistake.

[Anchorman]

I really think the best thing that SLAB can do is remove an official position on independence and leave it as a matter for individual members. That would then allow them to move away from the SNPBad stuff that ties them up in knots as they end up opposing stuff they agree with because the SNP proposes it.


They can then start saying rather that the Scot Govt is doing something badly, this is what we propose, vote for us. 

I can see the attraction for some in having Gordon Brown brought in but I think that would be a mistake.

 


They've dug themselves into a clabbery shuch as far as the constitution goes, and no course they take will see them out of the mess.
As far as Brown goes; if they were insane enough to adopt him as leader four months before the election, all SNP would need to do would be keep mouthing 'vow' and any credibility Brown might have had would vanish is quick as the egg thrown at Jim Murphy.

[Nearly Sane]

One view from inside SLab, others are available



https://tribunemag.co.uk/2021/01/how-not-to-save-scottish-labour?fbclid=IwAR2fGYLsPrnZA14ndGUl1F7fqi0wceR3E_xB8KiES8pV2Jc_Q20TN2eZobA