NATS WIN GLASGOW EAST
Paul Anderson writes:
Bah, the fishheids beat us. It means rather more than previous Glasgow SNP by-election victories because the tartan Tories are now in charge in Holyrood, it says a lot about how general disillusionment with the government has spread – and it speaks volumes of the hopelessly complacent organisation of the Labour Party in its supposed Scottish heartlands.
The last is hardly new: I remember reports of safe Labour constituencies in Glasgow with tiny inactive Labour parties 30 years ago. The story of the sitting MP who tells the keen raw recruit: "Don't worry about canvassing round here, laddie. We put out an election statement then I do a tour on polling day in a loudspeaker car," might well be apocryphal, but it's not far from the truth as it has been for several decades: Labour's desperate high-profile campaigning efforts in Glasgow East were notable largely because they contrasted so dramatically with the norm.
In two years, the success of the SNP in one of the seemingly strongest of Labour strongholds might in retrospect be seen as a seismic shift, a pivotal moment in Labour's decline and fall in Scotland - mix your metaphors as you like. As for what it means for Gordon Brown right now, however, I don't think it makes a lot of difference. A Labour win would have done him good, but the narrow defeat after a recount is hardly a massive humiliation. I could be wrong, but Glasgow East suggests a lot of scenarios for the next two or three years, not many for the next couple of months. Unfortunately.
Paul Anderson writes:
Bah, the fishheids beat us. It means rather more than previous Glasgow SNP by-election victories because the tartan Tories are now in charge in Holyrood, it says a lot about how general disillusionment with the government has spread – and it speaks volumes of the hopelessly complacent organisation of the Labour Party in its supposed Scottish heartlands.
The last is hardly new: I remember reports of safe Labour constituencies in Glasgow with tiny inactive Labour parties 30 years ago. The story of the sitting MP who tells the keen raw recruit: "Don't worry about canvassing round here, laddie. We put out an election statement then I do a tour on polling day in a loudspeaker car," might well be apocryphal, but it's not far from the truth as it has been for several decades: Labour's desperate high-profile campaigning efforts in Glasgow East were notable largely because they contrasted so dramatically with the norm.
In two years, the success of the SNP in one of the seemingly strongest of Labour strongholds might in retrospect be seen as a seismic shift, a pivotal moment in Labour's decline and fall in Scotland - mix your metaphors as you like. As for what it means for Gordon Brown right now, however, I don't think it makes a lot of difference. A Labour win would have done him good, but the narrow defeat after a recount is hardly a massive humiliation. I could be wrong, but Glasgow East suggests a lot of scenarios for the next two or three years, not many for the next couple of months. Unfortunately.
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Posted at 00:48
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Hard to seriously disagree with most of that... but...
"It means rather more than previous Glasgow SNP by-election victories because the tartan Tories are now in charge in Holyrood"
Does it though? Though it's tempting to say that that's only because Holyrood didn't exist back then it's also wrong; the Tartan Tories certainly wouldn't be in control of a Scottish Parliament in 1988 or 1973. Or whenever Hamilton 1st was; '67?). The crucial thing is that Holyrood is still a lower level of government than Westminster (more importantly; ordinary Scots clearly think that. Why else do they vote in greater numbers for the latter?) meaning that the natural layer to lash out at is still Westminster (of course the Salmond government being popular right now is a factor as well). I mean, if there were by-elections in Germany and there had been one in Bavaria at the Schröder government's nadir (2003-2004 or so), would anyone have seriously expected the CSU (in power at land level in Bavaria since 1957) to have polled poorly?
Trouble for the SNP in by-elections will only come when they are in power at Holyrood and Labour is in opposition in Westminster. Has the potential to be something of a nasty culture-shock. Until then...
"It means rather more than previous Glasgow SNP by-election victories because the tartan Tories are now in charge in Holyrood"
Does it though? Though it's tempting to say that that's only because Holyrood didn't exist back then it's also wrong; the Tartan Tories certainly wouldn't be in control of a Scottish Parliament in 1988 or 1973. Or whenever Hamilton 1st was; '67?). The crucial thing is that Holyrood is still a lower level of government than Westminster (more importantly; ordinary Scots clearly think that. Why else do they vote in greater numbers for the latter?) meaning that the natural layer to lash out at is still Westminster (of course the Salmond government being popular right now is a factor as well). I mean, if there were by-elections in Germany and there had been one in Bavaria at the Schröder government's nadir (2003-2004 or so), would anyone have seriously expected the CSU (in power at land level in Bavaria since 1957) to have polled poorly?
Trouble for the SNP in by-elections will only come when they are in power at Holyrood and Labour is in opposition in Westminster. Has the potential to be something of a nasty culture-shock. Until then...
A supporter of New Labour using the term 'Tartan Tories' for the SNP only makes himself look a complete fool.
The SNP's last leaflet was the picture of Gordon Brown welcoming Thatcher to Downing Street.
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The SNP's last leaflet was the picture of Gordon Brown welcoming Thatcher to Downing Street.
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: 8:16 PM
: 8:16 PM Links to this post:
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