Katy Clark MP, candidate for Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, argues that the party needs to demonstrate it can change.
We need to face up to the reality that it is not the Scottish people who have walked away from Scottish Labour but Scottish Labour that has walked away from them.
We need to reach out to those who’ve abandoned hope in Labour and those who voted Yes in the referendum.
Scotland has rejected New Labour, so we must take a new path for Labour in Scotland – we cannot go backwards.
The independence referendum has demonstrated that the Scottish people have rejected the neo-liberal policies pursued by successive UK and Scottish Governments and instead demand economic and social change.
While the previous Labour Governments have achievements we can rightly be proud of, particularly the introduction of the minimum wage and the progress made in reducing poverty, we need to face up to the fact that they did little to challenge the free-market dogma that has resulted in growing inequality, insecure employment and the housing shortage we see today.
We need to show we have listened by ending the austerity policies being pursued today.
The Scottish people are demanding a council house building programme that will deliver affordable homes for all, changes to employment law that guarantee everyone in Scotland a decent wage in a secure job with investment in high quality publicly-owned services.
As Scottish Labour we need to demonstrate we can change.
I agree with the need for a new council house program, especially if new schemes are carefully designed in a way that provides a better environment, and basically aren’t so grim looking.
Regards the referendum, we need to make sure we don’t fall into the same trap as before. It’s all very well promising change, but we need to actually demonstrate it by listening to the public, and coming up with significant devolved powers approaching ‘Devo-Max’.
Or we are going to get rejected yet again. The initial proposals submitted to the Smith commission are woefully short of what Scottish voters expect at this time.
No matter how many decent social policies Labour proposes, if we go into this upcoming general election offering less powers than the Tory party, that is ALL we are going to hear about.
The current polls show the potential for a complete wipe-out.
We can’t just take these seats for granted because of current majorities, when the public mood has changed.
It’s frustrating that the party is divided over something that just seems like common sense to me. The writing is on the wall here unless we make big changes.
Let’s give the majority of Scots what they actually want.
Surely, that is the best way to win back votes, and help to elect a Labour government ?