Katy Clark, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran since 2005, announced today that she was intending to seek nominations for the deputy leadership of the Scottish Labour Party following the resignation of Anas Sarwar under pressure from Jim Murphy in order to deflect criticism of the prospect of Westminster MP being elected as leader of the Scottish party.
Katy backs Neil Findlay for the leadership and shares his view that Labour must outflank the SNP from the left. Neil Findlay is expected to nominate Katy to be deputy, providing the basis for a Leader who is already a senior member of the Scottish parliament supported by a deputy who can speak for Scotland at Westminster. Also expected to stand as Jim Murphy’s running mate in all but name is current Education spokeswoman at Holyrood, Kezia Dugdale.
Katy intends to make a full statement on Monday but said the following this morning:
I have submitted a declaration to the Scottish Labour Party that I intend to stand for deputy leader and will be seeking nominations from colleagues over the weekend. I wish to pay tribute to both Johann Lamont and Anas Sarwar for the leadership they have provided to Scottish Labour over the last 3 years. This however is not about individuals. We must recognise that Scottish politics has changed and it can’t be business as usual. The vast majority of people want a secure job, a decent home and access to good quality public services. This is prevented for too many by wealth being held in the hands of a minority. It is unacceptable in the 21st century that people have to queue at a foodbank to feed their children. These are the issues I will be addressing throughout the campaign.”
We do here any where near enough regarding food banks from the Labour party. Sometimes its extremely difficult to know just where the Labour party really stand. Neil Findlay seems to speak for the true Labour party that we seem to have nearly lost.
I suspect this will be a walk in the park for Murphy who will now get the backing of the Progress group and Blair of course. Progress is now a major player in Labour and the issue that Miliband wanted him out will I suspect drive him on, but what about Scotland the voters well I suspect the well off middle classes will see Murphy as the best bet of getting a Tory type politician into power without actually voting in the hated Tories.
New labour in Scotland god I hope not but I suspect it will happen.
The SNP does need to be outflanked from the left but what does she mean by left and does it include policies that will put the working class in power and a federation of sovereign British nations to replace the Union?
This is shaping up to be a campaign that can open up the Party and where the affiliated unions, and their memberships, can play a central role. Katy is making a full statement on Monday, but her comments when announcing her candidature were significant: “The vast majority of people want a secure job, a decent home and access to good quality public services. This is prevented for too many by wealth being held in the hands of a minority.”
That is a direct argument for socialism, and regardless of the outcome of this contest it will again mean that socialist ideas will be key. Murphy is most certainly not nailed on to win – but far too many Scottish socialists have walked away from the Party in recent years either to inactivity or to attempted sect building to make stopping him an easy task. However, for all the talk of new left forces or new parties, it is again the mass organisations of the labour movement – the Labour Party and the unions, that are again key.
We will see.
Blairite Tom Harris backs Katy for deputy, am I being cynical in thinking, It’s away of not upsetting route members if Jim murphy becomes leader, shame Lindsay Hoys not standing,