Scottish Leftreview

ScottishLeft Review Issue 115 January/February 2020 - £2.00 'best re(a)d' homeless please help 1 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 115 January/February 2020 feedback comment Regroup and resist – but how? ell, the polls were stunningly the editorial for the September/October class. The fly in the ointment was that accurate so we well and truly 2019 issue of Scottish Left Reviewsaid: Labour left activists thought it would be had our ‘Friday the thirteenth’. the vote winner and forgot at the same W Meantime, Labour continues to get a Welcome, readers, subscribers and time that the credibility of the overall ‘sore arse’ by sitting as many different supporters then to an unhappy New message – ‘real change … for the many ways as possible on the Brexit fence. Year. We’ll all need 2020 vision to get not the few’ - contained in the manifesto It’s understandable given the split over through this year and the next ones was dependent upon things other than Brexit amongst its core supporters. because it’s all too glib to say all we reviewsthe manifesto itself (like Corbyn). But it would have been far better to need to do is just resist and rebel. For have declared a crystal-clear position This brings us to the situation in a start, that doesn’t take account of – whatever that may have been – take Scotland. But before getting there, some the difficulties in doing so before 12 the inevitable, short-term hit and then perspective is needed. The Tories won December 2019 – like the sabotage of move on to campaigning on that position 365 seats (+47) with just under 14m the Labour right, the timidity of the instead of ever grudgingly changing on votes (43.6%, +1.2%) while Labour won SNP leadership, the division over Brexit, shifting sands. 203 (-59) with just 10m votes (32.1%, falling union membership and the like. -7.9%). This may suggest the result was And after 12 December 2019, the hold Labour’s final position on Brexit took that rather more a Labour defeat than a of many of these forces will be all the to the nth degree. Polling analyst firm, Tory victory. And, though Labour won stronger. Plus, there’s the demoralisation Datapraxis, calculated that a maximum 2.5m less votes than in 2017, it wasn’t of those who campaigned for a Labour of 0.8m Labour voters switched to the the worst result since 1935 as the government – given that many saw the Tories, while the Lib Dems gained at mainstream media like to say because manifesto as seeking to deliver socialism- least 1.1 million votes from Labour, the that only looks at the parliamentary and the divisions amongst the working Greens 339,000 and the SNP a quarter of arithmetic. In their time, Blair, Brown, class with many having voted Tory for a million. Miliband and Kinnock fought elections the first time. Then there’s the issue of Corbyn where Labour won fewer votes. Let’s start with one unpalatable truth himself. Whilst we must not forget that This again highlights the thoroughly which only hindsight can now really it is wholly unhealthy in any type of reprehensible nature of our first-past- verify. The election was won by the Tories democracy to so heavily have the fate of the-post voting system and the virtues of long before the election was called. a political party tied to the fate of their proportional representation. According to the polls, it was in August leader – and which forces in our political So, Scotland was an unmitigated disaster just after Johnson was elected Tory culture are responsible for this, Corbyn for Labour with only one of the most leader. What this signifies is that issues did not measure up. Before the election right-wing of Labour MPs being the like how Brexit, anti-Semitism, media – like over the dispatch box at PMQs (sole) one to be returned. Although far scrutiny and so on had taken their toll on – he so often failed to hit the target or from the only factor contributing to this Labour long before the 29 October when land a killer blow. In the election itself, near wipe-out, it’s hard to understand the election was called. There was only he looked tired and lacklustre. His rage the stupid tribalism inherent in politics the smallest amount of regaining ground seemed somewhat unconvincing. Of in Scotland that stopped Labour from by Labour in the face of a twin juggernaut course, it didn’t help that the media saying, even opportunistically: ‘We’ll of the Tories and the SNP. mostly gave Johnson a free ride. But it’s support the democratic right to have a also the case that Johnson was fairly Unfortunately, Labour was in so many second referendum on independence. Teflon-like because of the frustration ways the author of its own fate. It But when it comes, we’ll campaign over Brexit and his promise to ‘Get Brexit didn’t recognise that its 2017 campaign against independence.’ Ironically, that is Done’. couldn’t simply be replicated for 2019. the position of the Scottish Labour left Sure, Labour led by Corbyn could be All this is such a pity because Labour’s allies, the Communist Party. Instead, expected to have come under fierce manifesto was genuinely radical and what we had was Richard Leonard’s attack. That should have been taken progressive. It wasn’t socialist and more hard-line opposition to a second as read, prepared for and batted off. couldn’t deliver socialism per se as referendum than that of Corbyn and Even during the election campaign, the many supporters insisted. Recall the McDonnell. This does not sit well with attacks for (wrongly) being anti-Semitic unfortunate use of the ‘A Britain that Scottish Labour’s support for the Claim of could have been prepared for. Only the works for all’ phrase. But it could have Rights. Only now are some senior voices charge of being anti-Semitic was new in made a massive and positive difference in Scottish Labour – like Neil Findlay and any sense - albeit from 2016. On Brexit, to the material conditions of the working Monica Lennon – as well as hundreds 2 - ScottishLeftReview Issue 115 January/February 2020 of left activists via Scottish Labour for We’ll get some sense of this from the it will not countenance an unofficial Radical Democracy breaking cover to elections for leader and deputy-leader referendum or extra-parliamentary say that. Instead, Scottish Labour policy positions fairly soon. How will Johnson’s action. What difference will Scottish in the election was not support for a professed ‘one nation’ Toryism fair Labour’s new – yet to be defined - second referendum unless the SNP won under the tensions between free traders constitutional offer have on its level of a mandate for it in the 2021 Holyrood and protectionists, liberals and social support? elections. If it holds to that line in any conservatives and ‘true blue’ southern We asked these and many other discernible way, then it will easily gift shires and ‘blue collar’ northern Britain questions based around a ‘what the SNP that policy commitment (and to within the Tories? happened?’ and ‘what do we do now?’ the exclusion of growing discontent over In Scotland, most immediately we need perspective to a range of left activists the SNP Scottish Government’s handling to think about the Alex Salmond trial of health, education and transport). and commentators. We hope that out which begins on 9 March. Whatever the Scottish Labour will likely face another of this some consensus may begin to outcome, the SNP will be damaged as wipe-out in those 2021 elections emerge and then out of that consensus Salmond is pitted against Sturgeon. But some action may be taken because in the That the SNP won (effectively) 48 seats who will be the beneficiary and what battles ahead, words will only be worth given the situation in Kirkcaldy and will it do for support for independence? anything if they result in effective action. Cowdenbeath is all the more significant Further ahead, is the third in a row In this regard, some have mentioned when one considers its manifesto was (2015, 2017, 2019) win for the SNP ‘getting the [non-Tory cross-party] thin and based upon fairly explicit at Westminster the beginning of a band back together’ of in the form of a support for independence and stopping permanent trend for it? Will the results Constitutional Convention from 1989 or Brexit. But, again, some perspective is of the Holyrood elections in 2021 a Scotland United from 1992. Recalling needed as this was not quite the re-run cement this in the run-up to the 2024 both these phenomena, it seems of 2015 when the SNP won 56 of the Westminster election? Most would apparent that the mass mobilisations of 59 seats. The Tories still have six seats expect a Tory Westminster government Scotland United will be necessary but albeit it down from 13 in 2017 and are to be a great recruiting sergeant for the they will only become sufficient when now confined to the Borders and the SNP and the cause of independence part and parcel of a wider programme of north-east. The lack of a surge from the (especially as a left unionist project is in political change. LibDems was epitomised by Jo Swinson decline or on the defensive now). But, • losing her seat. The extent of the SNP Although this ‘thanks’ should have gone probably, the most strategic dilemma in the last issue of 2019, the editorial victory is better measured by recognising for the SNP is that having won so committee of the magazine wish to that from 2017 to 2019, the party’s handsomely again, how will it not look publicly record their gratitude to all share of the vote went up from 37% to impotent and adrift when a Section 30 those involved the in the production and 45%, with the Tories falling from 29% Order is again rejected? How long can it publication of Scottish Left Review – the to 25% and Labour sliding from 27% to dial up the rhetoric without seeming like proofers, the readers, the cover designer, the typesetter, the web uploader, the 19%.

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