This from Open Democracy’s Our Kingdom website:
“This is charitably the fifth policy position of Scottish Labour on the independence question in two years. First, they were against it. Then they were bounced into supporting it by Wendy Alexander with Gordon Brown initially in favour, then unsure, and finally against. Then they officially weren’t sure. The Gray leadership then took them back to being against a vote, but now it has moved again.
The current position of being against a vote not on principle, but expediency of timing and the Nats having the temerity to decide the vote hardly looks a stable position, and the issue will be how long it will be party policy before we are on to the sixth policy.
Scottish Labour illustrated the depths of a crisis it is in – in terms of identity, strategy, positioning and future prospects after the Westminster elections in the run-up to the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections. Murphy and Gray stood on Brighton beach, draped in a saltire, supposedly according to press briefings the new symbol of the party north of the border.
The challenge the Scottish party faces was evident in a Compass publication, ‘The Last Labour Government’ which polled on voting intentions in a forthcoming independence vote. This found only 31% in favour of independence and 53% against, but a whooping 34% of Scots becoming more favourable to independence with the prospect of a Tory Government.
This is the major faultline of Scottish politics.”
A Tory government sounds distinctly unpalatable and is an awfy shoogley peg on which to hang the pro-independence jaiket.
Right wing arch unionist public schoolboys will be even less sympathetic to Scotland’s aspirations than right wing half arsed unionist grammar schoolboys.
Dedicated to Mr Gray
You’re a real nowhere man,
Sitting in your Nowhere Land,
Making all your nowhere plans
for nobody.
You don’t have a point of view,
Know not where you’re going to,
Aren’t sure what you should do about the SNP?
Nowhere Man please listen,
You don’t know what you’re missing,
Freedom for your Nation is within your grasp!
You’re as blind as you can be,
Just see what you want to see,
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?
Nowhere Man, don’t worry,
Take your time, don’t hurry,
Leave it all to somebody else
To liberate your a land!
Doesn’t have a point of view,
Knows not where he’s going to,
Isn’t sure what he should do about the SNP?
Nowhere Man please listen,
you don’t know what you’re missing
Freedom for your Nation is within your grasp!
He’s a real Nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody!