ANAS SARWAR HAS A DREAM

So, Anas says that the SNP hates the Labour Party and thinks that its (Labour’s) destruction is the way to gain independence.

Odd really because the best way to gain independence and have a socially just Scotland, would be for Labour and the SNP to work together to counter at least some of the horrific effects of Tory rule in the UK, and the rise of the Tories in Scotland. So I think “hate” is a bit strong. The SNP is certainly mystified about a party which is supposed to represent the poorer people in society, but which sides so often with the Tories on matters that affect the poor. But hatred? I don’t think so.

But, bless him, he says that their solution is to unite the Labour Party.

Good luck with that, Anas. I suppose we could really just stop there. After all, as parties go, Labour, “across the United Kingdom”, is about as far as you can get from being united.

In the UK parliament they don’t have time to be in opposition to the Tories. They are far too busy being in opposition to themselves.

Their members want Corbyn by a massive record breaking majority; 75% of their MPs don’t. When the membership voted decisively for Corbyn, after years of Tory-lite leadership from Blair, Brown (and Mandelson) and then Miliband, the MPs insisted on another leadership battle. Knowing what the odds were, no one remotely serious stood (Angela Eagle or Owen Smith as prime minister???? Oh please!), and Corbyn was re-elected with an increased majority.

But instead of listening to the votes of members and supporters, the PLP decided that they knew better and embarked on a policy of undermining the leader, and to hell with being the opposition. That inspires no confidence at all in a  party of potential government.

A civil war is going on inside the party, and if the Fabian Society is to be believed, they can look forward to a crushing defeat in 2020, and we can look forward to yet another 5 year period of Tory rule, despite the pitiful quality of leadership.

I can’t see any way around that problem, but then I’m not Anas Sarwar!

In Scotland Labour has reached what must be close to “core vote”: a presumably ageing and diminishing group who have voted Labour all their lives, through Labour’s socialist days and their Tory-lite days, and are too old to change. Hard to believe these people were in government 10 years ago. The leader and deputy leader disagree about the way forward and Dugdale has just handed Riley a job at which he can only fail dismally: Campaign Manager for the 2017 elections.

Again, I see no way through this, but I’m not possessed of Anas’s intellect.

In the meantime, the UK is facing the biggest challenge in it history since the second world war, and it is in the hands of Theresa, Boris, David, and Foxy. And her majesty’s loyal opposition is too busy tearing chunks out of itself to bother much about the mess they have made so far.

Scotland voted firmly against leaving the EU. Nicola Sturgeon has put forward reasonable membership proposals to keep the country in the single market, enjoying some of the benefits of EU. She’s one of very few leaders in the UK to come up with ideas (along with the Deputy First Minister of NI, and the First Minister of Gibraltar).

Kezia Dugdale’s response has been to say that Nicola HAS to rule out any possibility of a seocnd referendum on independence, which of course, she knows will never happen.

Anas is probably the next leader in Scotland. He has to be positioning himself for a take over in the summer, so we should get used to that. It’s a pity that they won’t pick someone a little more open to listening to what Labour supporters seem to want.