SCOTLAND’S only Labour MP has said there is “no disunity” in his party – amid splits in party policy north and south of the Border.
His comments came after young people warned they feel “disheartened” by the party, with many considering resigning their membership.
In recent weeks, differences in policy have emerged between Scottish and UK Labour, though it remains unclear whether this would translate to rebellion by its elected MPs against leader Keir Starmer.
While Starmer said he would not reverse the two-child benefit cap first introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, both Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar MSP and deputy Jackie Baillie MSP have in the past opposed the policy.
On self-ID, shadow equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds MP wrote in The Guardian that under a Labour government, trans people will need to get a medical diagnosis before being awarded a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), directly contradicting Scottish Labour’s position.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour have said that it “continues to support the de-medicalisation of the process [for trans people to receive legal recognition for their preferred gender in Scotland”.
Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South and shadow secretary of state for Scotland, told the Sunday National: “There is no disunity [in the Labour Party]. It is not a contradiction but in fact the very nature of devolution that Scottish and UK Labour will sometimes have different approaches.
“Labour helped establish the Scottish Parliament exactly so that different decisions could be taken in Scotland where people felt there should be.
“What’s the point of devolution if things are always to be the same?
“Anas and Keir are completely united behind a shared vision of transforming the UK with a Labour government.
“Our transformative programme of policies – from our £28 billion a year investment in green technology, to the headquartering of GB Energy in Scotland – will radically improve Scotland.
“Unlike the SNP MPs at Westminster, who are more interested in standing up to each other than standing up for Scotland, Scottish Labour MPs will be pivotal in the next UK Labour government, delivering for their communities.
Murray previously called the two-child cap “cruel” – and he has since said that both Starmer and Sarwar are “right” over their differing approaches.
Tom Creswell, a young Labour member in Scotland and former vice-chair and LGBT+ officer for Edinburgh Labour Students, told the Sunday National he “did consider cancelling [his] membership” as a result of Labour’s policy decisions.
He said: “I was incredibly disheartened when I saw that we had gone down a route of not backing self-ID.”
Other young people have echoed this sentiment on social media, as the National Labour Students committee issued a statement outlining the “continued failure of Labour to clamp down on anti-trans hate”.
The statement continued: “Labour Students reaffirms its unequivocal support and solidarity with the trans community in light of Keir Starmer’s recent use of transphobic dogwhistles and the abandoning of our party’s commitment to self-ID.”
The Scottish Young Labour committee said: “We once again stand side by side with the trans community. We always will.
“Barriers are meant to be broken, the continuation of the Tories’ heinous policy is a disgrace and we will fight with all our might for this to change.”
Students across Scotland have expressed concern about the U-turn, as Glasgow University Labour said: “We urge the Labour leadership to rethink this unhelpful and cruel stance towards trans people, which plays into the horrid rhetoric of transphobes and undermines the trust and relationship between the LGBT community and the party. Compassion and love to all, not hate and fear!”
When asked about his position on Labour’s self-ID policy, Murray said: “It’s important that lessons are learned from the poor way this issue was handled by the Scottish and UK governments.
“The legislation has ended up in the courts and that has failed both trans people and women.”
Murray said he is “incredibly proud to represent thousands of students and young people across Edinburgh South”.
He continued: “The young people I speak to want change – the next election will be a choice between a radical change with Labour, or a continuation of the status quo with the Tories and the SNP.”
