Keir Starmer must surely know that trying to out-Tory the Tories cannot work. Attempting to steal their clothes on everything from strikes, to Brexit, to immigration policy will not work – the Tories are the original brand and have now won four successive elections. It is thoroughly depressing to see this once-great party scrabbling round for ideas when people across the UK are crying out for better.
Recent polling suggests most people are pessimistic about the future direction of the UK and expect things to get worse. Labour’s tough talk on strikes helps no one – not least their chances of getting back into Government in the UK. Respecting the right of workers to withdraw their labour ought to be fundamental to a party whose roots are in that very movement, but Keir Starmer has refused to commit to getting rid of the Tories’ anti-trades union laws.
I was appalled to see Wes Streeting, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, attacking the British Medical Association and suggesting that he wouldn’t promise extra pay for nurses. His solution to the current backlog was to use the private sector – that comes at a significant cost, money which would be better spent bolstering the NHS.
By contrast, Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has done all he can to negotiate responsibly and constructively with the health sector in Scotland, despite the very tight constraints on the Scottish budget. The reality facing John Swinney this week is that the current Scottish Budget is £1.7billion short due to inflationary pressures.
The offer of £1.5billion in Barnett consequentials over the next two years from the UK Government is too little, too late, and this has an impact on what can be offered to help public sector workers with the Tory-created cost-of-living crisis. Instead of accepting that Brexit has been an economic disaster, Starmer has doubled down in saying he wants to “make Brexit work”.
Brexit cannot be made to work; it is costing us dearly and will continue to do so. Ending freedom of movement and making
statements which make NHS workers who have come from other countries feel unwelcome is further harming our prospects. The recent paper by Gordon Brown fails to offer inspiration on this – there are no radical plans to address the many deficiencies of the distribution of power in UK.
Labour has been promising to abolish the House of Lords for over a hundred years. Labour don’t seek to expand or protect the powers of the Scottish Parliament or abolish the power-grabbing UK Internal Market Act. One of the most interesting findings of the Redfield Wilton poll is that, for the majority of people, their views on the attractiveness of independence are not changed by the prospect of a UK Labour Government. Labour must recognise that the only way to have democratic credibility is to give the people of Scotland the right to have their say on their future.
Positive indy signs but work to be done
Three successive polls in two weeks on independence have shown that far from diminishing the campaign, the Supreme Court decision last month has spurred on the cause. The latest Electoral Calculus Poll puts Yes up almost six points to 51 per cent, with No and undecided voters falling away. Ipsos put Yes on a stunning 56 per cent, with every part of Scotland supporting independence.
The recent Redfield Wilton Poll also highlighted a lead for Yes, a majority of support across all age groups under 64, and increased support in the 65+ bracket. All of this is reason to be optimistic but it still means there is work to be done to convince and to reinforce support across all ages and parts of society. A good deal of the focus in the Westminster leadership contest was on how we build our movement and ensure we work well as a party.
I put my own name forward as I believe I have a lot of experience to offer, and while unsuccessful, I wish Stephen Flynn all the best in taking on this difficult role. Ian Blackford, left, has led the SNP group at Westminster for five and a half years, and I’m proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside him. It is a demanding and often thankless job. Ian was able to hold the Tories to account through Brexit, coronavirus and the cost-of-living crisis, and always ensured Scotland’s voice was heard.
Loving the Moroc’n’roll
It was wonderful to see Morocco become the first African and Arab team to progress to the World Cup semi-finals. Seeing Sofiane Boufal dancing on the pitch with his mother, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou putting his gloves on his toddler son are moments which will live long in the memory.
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