The June 2017 general election will be remembered as an occasion where the political map of the UK was dramatically and unexpectedly redrawn. This was the case no more than in Scotland where the outcome indicates the birth of a three-party system. The major headline was the SNP losing its hegemonic status, going from 56 to ‘only’ 35 — still a majority of Scotland’s 59 seats. These setbacks were compounded by the loss of nearly 500,000 votes, with the SNP total vote falling from over 1.45 million to under 980,000. This is partly explained by a decline in turnout, from 71% to 66%. Major losses sustained by the SNP to both Conservatives and Labour will have profound long-term significance. The Tories gained over 320,000 votes and increased their number of seats from 1 to 13. On the other hand, the number of votes for the Labour Party only increased by around 10,000 to a total of 717,000, but this secured an additional 6 seats. These results majorly alter perceptions of the 2015 result as a generational shift, revealing the fluid nature of Scottish politics and that the forward march of political nationalism in recent decades could in fact be halting.[1] Continue reading
Posted in Scotland
Reflections on the General Election in Scotland
After last nights results, pundits from across the political spectrum will today be racing to produce their analysis. In that vein, here’s mine: Scotland last night represented a victory of sorts for Labour. It was a vindication for the left of the party and in particular the Campaign for Socialism.
The result means the decline of cross class politics in this country. Firstly, it’s prudent to address the simple statistics for Labour in Scotland. Before this election many outside the party, and an alarming number of voices within Bath Street, predicted another poor performance for Scottish Labour. Iain Murray represented our best (and perhaps only) hope as a staunch unionist fighting back against an evil Scottish National Party in middle class Morningside. Instead, last night Labour gained six former industrial constituencies across Scotland, electing fantastic representatives to a parliament with an increased voice and mandate for Jeremy Corbyn. Perhaps most notably, the constituencies where Labour gained were not those associated with staunch Unionism; Glasgow North East and Coatbridge and Chryston were in fact within the ‘Yes’ voting areas of Glasgow and North Lanarkshire in the 2014 independence referendum. Continue reading
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Together We’re Sombre
When I started writing this, I wanted it to be a simple piece on Scottish Labour after our conference this month, but when one thinks about politics it’s hard to shut up about it (maybe that’s just me). The fact is, all of the issues I want to discuss are related, because we can’t take one situation in one country at one certain time, isolate it from the international situation, and claim that ‘this is how it is’. Labour’s difficulty in Scotland is reflective of the labour movement across the world.
As a young student in a part time job, it can be difficult to attend political events (ask anyone in this position and they’ll tell you the same). On Sunday I managed to travel up to Perth as a new member, and first time conference goer, and whilst I have left with a positive frame of mind, I can’t help but question some of the messages we as a party were putting out. Upon entering conference, one can’t escape the ever watchful presence of the buzzwords – ‘Together we’re stronger’. It’s on twenty different televisions, it’s beamed in huge script in the main hall, it’s the repeated mantra of many a speaker, and if that wasn’t Orwellian enough, it patiently awaits you on a television screen as you visit the toilets – no, I am not joking. Continue reading
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After Corbyn: Lessons from Scottish Young Labour conference
Youth politics can be miserable. The culture in NUS and Labour Students is particularly toxic and it is to blame for a generation of jaded and cynical young activists. The student movement no longer churns out leaders like Dutschke, Wilkerson, or Hayden.
It’s understandable then that socialists are reluctant to engage in youth politics. The idea that youth politics is irrelevant and indulgent is a common refrain on certain strands of the Left. It is argued that we should spend our time on different projects with more immediate returns.
But the reality is that youth politics is much more important than we think. NUS, Labour Students, and Young Labour have long been training grounds for future parliamentarians and bureaucrats. They do more than teach how to pack a room. Youth politics teaches a generation of activists what is politically possible. Continue reading