Within a day of being elected leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, Richard Leonard has managed to send a tweet that suggests the Scottish government had to be forced into discussions to save bifab jobs, when what really happened was the First Minister flew back from a meeting abroad to take charge of the discussions and came up with a solution. He also tried to make it look as if Labour was somehow involved in the discussions and thus responsible for the outcome - and that's just not the case. Even the GMB has gone online to thank the Scottish government for their support.
However, Richard has now had his knuckles rapped by the real boss, Jeremy Corbyn (and I'll pause while you have a wee snigger at that), for suggesting Kezia Dugdale should be disciplined for zooming off overseas - and on a school night as it were - to appear in a TV reality show for losers that I for one didn't even know was still on.
Welcome to the world of Scottish Labour, Richard. I hope things get better for you from now on. Not because I support Labour in any way - Blair and Brown finished my 30 year membership of the Labour party - but because I have many friends who are sincere and decent supporters of the Labour cause. Some of them are in favour of independence and some are not, but they all believe in the basic principles of the Labour party and must watch the behaviour of Labour in both Holyrood and Westminster with a feeling of despair.
Maybe it's time for the Labour party in Scotland to get back to the day job: working to eliminate poverty, improve education, save the NHS - and offer a decent opposition in both parliaments in the face of Tory complacency and arrogance. Because while Labour have been looking in the other direction (mostly up their own arse) for the past wee while, the Tories have turned into something that most of us could only imagine in a nightmare. Thus, we're out of the EU and all opposition to brexit is dismissed as 'treachery' by the Tory press, which right now seems to be setting the agenda. The UK has handed its children's futures to a bunch of millionaires with no understanding of what it means to be poor or disabled or in need of benefits. Maybe Labour in Scotland could stop sniping at the SNP, especially Nicolas Sturgeon and, oh man how they hate him, Alex Salmond, and start offering ideas for the future of the country.
But I'll no hold ma breath...
Very enjoyable post Jean. Comments from members of political parties are always more valuable from non former members because they tend to contain valuable insights which non members will never know - until we learn from you. Keep up the good work Jean and thanks for your post, much appreciated.
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