Is it time for Labour to goNORTH?

By Stuart MacLennan / @stuartmaclennan

Tomorrow marks the start of one of the highlights of my musical calendar – the “goNORTH” festival in Inverness, the aim of which is to “promote the best breakthrough Scottish music”. But as we question whether or not we can still rely on our core of Central-Scotland support, maybe it’s about time for the Labour Party to goNORTH itself for our own breakthrough.

Conventional wisdom dictates that the Highlands and Islands only ever votes Liberal or SNP. Certainly a quick look at the electoral map of the region reveals a sea of yellow and gold – but this wasn’t always the case. Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber was held by Labour from 1997-2005. Caithness and Sutherland was, until 2001, held by Bob MacLennan who first won the seat for Labour in 1974 before switching to the SDP in the 1980s. Na h-Eileanan an Iar (or ‘Western Isles’ to lowlanders) was Labour from 1987-2005, as well as being solid Labour from 1935-1970.

And there have been a few close-calls too. Former Runrig singer Donnie Munro came close to unseating Charles Kennedy in 1997. Catriona Munro (no relation) almost defeated SNP Parliamentary leader Angus Robertson in 2001.

However the closest call of all was surely the Highlands and Islands regional list in 2007. Across Scotland Labour activists were popping champagne corks thinking we’d won four seats in the Highlands and Islands and therefore a one-seat majority in the Scottish Parliament. A subsequent recount left us with three seats and the SNP with a one-seat majority in Parliament. So why is it that despite the evident pool of potential Labour voters and the important role it played in deciding the 2007 Scottish election the Highlands and Islands region remains a total write-off in the minds of party strategists?

I put this question to a party press officer shortly after our defeat in 2007 whose response was “maybe we’ll pay more attention to the Highlands when they get colour TV” – you can bet your bottom dollar he was lambasted for that remark!

I know as well as anyone that campaigning in such a massive and sparsely populated region isn’t easy – but these seats have got to be won by someone. The electorates in Highland constituencies are well below par, meaning comparatively few voters can bring big swings. I’d probably be pushing my luck to ask for Moray to be made a target seat – but given that us Scots have proven time and time again that we love causing political upsets, maybe it’s time we reassessed the conventional wisdom.