The weak man of British politics is at it again. Having moved heaven and earth to try and avoid the television debates, Dave has now condescended to appear in a single contest with six other party leaders. In what can only be described as some of the barest face lies I’ve ever seen the witless […]
Posts under ‘British Regions/Nations’
Syriza wow Labour delegates at Yorkshire conference
Mar 2nd, 2015 by George McManus.Over 50 Yorkshire and Humber Labour Party delegates packed into Saturday’s fringe meeting in Leeds to hear from the front line in what has been labelled ‘A Very European Coup‘. Professor Costas Douzinas, Professor of Law at Birkbeck College in London told a packed audience that there was a parallel between Chris Mullin’s classic story A Very British Coup and recent […]
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Using public procurement for a fairer Scotland
Feb 18th, 2015 by Dave Watson.More than £10bn of Scottish taxpayers cash goes on buying goods and services in the private sector. This procurement activity could do much more to deliver the Scottish Government and other public bodies policy aims. Last year the Scottish Parliament passed the Procurement Reform Act and the EU passed a new Procurement Directive. These provide […]
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The Pasokification of Scottish Labour is writing on wall unless Labour moves Left
Feb 6th, 2015 by Michael Meacher.There is virtually no parallel for it in modern Western politics except perhaps the election which reduced the ruling Canadian Conservative party to just 2 seats. Ashcroft’s detailed polling of 14 Labour-held constituencies (plus 2 LibDem constituencies with even more dire predictions for their incumbents) is truly dramatic, showing an average 21% swing from Labour […]
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Miliband and Murphy must apologise for ‘Better Together’
Feb 4th, 2015 by Jon Lansman.It is clearer this morning than it has ever been. Lord Ashworth’s polls leave us in no doubt that the threat to Labour from the SNP that has been forecast by other polls is very real. If Labour loses this election, it will have lost it primarily in Scotland. Douglas Alexander and Margaret Curran stand […]
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The case for fully devolving housing benefit to the Scottish government
Feb 3rd, 2015 by Dave Watson.UNISON’s case for the full devolution of housing benefit has been supported by the respected think tank IPPR. Scotland needs all the policy levers to effectively address our housing crisis. The command paper ‘Scotland in the United Kingdom: An enduring settlement‘, (love an optimistic title!) sets out the legislative provisions to enact the Smith Commission […]
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There are better things to be doing than playing the patriot game
Jan 20th, 2015 by Stephen Low.“To these ends we work for the patriotic interest of the people of Scotland” runs part of a suggested new aims and values statement (Clause 4 – renumbered from Clause 2 for marketing purposes) that we are being asked to endorse at Scottish Conference in March. As a party and a movement we can do […]
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Scottish Labour’s Clause 4 moment – socialism and patriotism
Dec 18th, 2014 by Dave Watson.Well that’s the Scottish leadership election over. There was at least a real debate about ideas and strategy and Neil Findlay’s campaign ensured that we didn’t get the coronation the system usually delivers. Neil also delivered ideas of substance and generated energy amongst party members that I haven’t seen for a long time. From Jim […]
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Jim Murphy and saving Scottish Labour
Dec 17th, 2014 by Phil Burton-Cartledge.The victories of Jim Murphy and Kezia Dugdale in the Scottish Labour leadership elections have invited much comment. Some of it warm and friendly, but a great deal not. Indeed, soon after Saturday’s results were announced obituaries (like this) have been pouring in from the left. True, many who are so minded wish Scottish Labour […]
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Jim Murphy and Kezia Dugdale win the election but not the popular vote
Dec 13th, 2014 by Jon Lansman.The media and the bookies predicted a Murphy and Dugdale victory and that is what they eventually got, by a margin that, on the surface at least, looked comfortable. What they appear not to have won is the popular vote – I say appear because no figures have been released on actual numbers voting nor even […]
