Left Candidate Must be Allowed to Run in Scottish Labour Leadership Election
Now that Wendy Alexander has resigned the Scottish Labour party has a real opportunity of staging a democratic leadership election, which would be able to focus on an honest debate about the current state of Labour in Scotland. It is deperately needed given the way the SNP has been able to dominate the political agenda so effectively since it was elected to government.
My fear is that there will be an attempt to prevent a real political debate either by following the Brown example of blocking any contest or more subtely by only allowing candidates from the right to run. Preventing a candidate from the Left from getting on the ballot paper would be as disastrous in the long term as the Brown no contest strategy. It would be seen as an obvious avoidance of facing to the much needed political debate about the future of the party in Scotland.
A candidate of the Left is needed and I believe that the best and most principled advocate for socialism in the Scottish Parliament is Elaine Smith. Elaine has a superb record of commitment and campaigning. She is articlate, popular and rooted in her community.
I hope that Elaine decides to stand and if she does it is critical that we mobilise to ensure she is on the ballot paper. The right and the bureaucracy must not be alowed to get away with a right wing slate on the ballot paper. We must not let them block Elaine. If they did it would another step on the path to the destruction of the Labour Party in Scotland.
We cannot allow any more coronations or election stitch ups in the Labour party. We must stand up for the right of Labour Party members and affiliated trade unionists to be able to elect a candidate of their choice and from a range of candidates who reflect the spectrum of political opinion within our party. Anything less would be viewed as yet another unsavoury New Labour manoueuvre.
My fear is that there will be an attempt to prevent a real political debate either by following the Brown example of blocking any contest or more subtely by only allowing candidates from the right to run. Preventing a candidate from the Left from getting on the ballot paper would be as disastrous in the long term as the Brown no contest strategy. It would be seen as an obvious avoidance of facing to the much needed political debate about the future of the party in Scotland.
A candidate of the Left is needed and I believe that the best and most principled advocate for socialism in the Scottish Parliament is Elaine Smith. Elaine has a superb record of commitment and campaigning. She is articlate, popular and rooted in her community.
I hope that Elaine decides to stand and if she does it is critical that we mobilise to ensure she is on the ballot paper. The right and the bureaucracy must not be alowed to get away with a right wing slate on the ballot paper. We must not let them block Elaine. If they did it would another step on the path to the destruction of the Labour Party in Scotland.
We cannot allow any more coronations or election stitch ups in the Labour party. We must stand up for the right of Labour Party members and affiliated trade unionists to be able to elect a candidate of their choice and from a range of candidates who reflect the spectrum of political opinion within our party. Anything less would be viewed as yet another unsavoury New Labour manoueuvre.
posted by John at 1:19 AM
6 Comments:
Totally agree, but can you see Brown doing this he will want another Toddie to take the job a Brownite or even a Blairite
It will be hard but not imossible to get either Elaine Smith or Bill Butler, both Campaign for Socialism members, on the ballot...
...this below from my Morning Star piece today (Mon 30/6)
Malky x
====================
Replacing Alexander
WENDY Alexander's resignation as Labour leader in the Scottish Parliament came as a surprise to everyone. Certainly to me.
I thought that she would serve her day in the doghouse in September for her donations misdemeanour and battle on. Whatever her reasons for quitting, it provides Scottish Labour with an unexpected opportunity to have a debate among members and affiliates on its direction now - and it is certainly needed.
That debate in the wider party can happen if and only if there is a proper contest for leader. And a proper contest can only happen if the views of ordinary members and the unions, which have been largely ignored since the Blairist coup in 1994, are represented in a left candidate. That would have to be either Bill Butler or Elaine Smith.
So, the key question is, will a left candidate get on the ballot? At least one-eighth of the 46 Labour MSPs are required to sign nomination papers for a candidate to go forward. That means six signatures.
Last summer, when Alexander was an unopposed shoo-in, it proved impossible to find six MSPs prepared to support a left candidate.
If either Smith or Butler can achieve the required six MSP nominations, the Scottish Labour Party has a chance of having a real debate, taking on board popular policies supported by the main unions, reconnecting with core voters and revitalising its chances of winning in Scotland.
If not, and the choice on offer is same old versus same old, the winner is most likely to be Alex Salmond.
I think you should stand John. You're sooooooo hot!
Given level of confidence expressed above it then makes more sense for the Left to run a single candidate, and if finding six MSP's willing to sign a Socialist candidate's nomination form does prove impossible then a long hard look must be taken as a matter of urgency in regards to who is presently being selected and supported to be an MSP.
If as John asserts
"A candidate of the Left is needed and I believe that the best and most principled advocate for socialism in the Scottish Parliament is Elaine Smith. Elaine has a superb record of commitment and campaigning. She is articlate, popular and rooted in her community."
then I would agree Elaine Smith for all the reasons stated would prove, unlike Wendy Alexander, to be a "Winner" with the Scottish electorate.
Louis
I see Ms Curran has stepped into the frame. On another point I have started a debate on 'Another World Is Possible on the Labour members net, whic looks like it's really going to take off. I wonder if John might like to look in and add a comment or two. One question posed is what would John do about child poverty
Neil Kelly
Southampton Test CLP
neil@neilkellygardens.com
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