Inverclyde- The challenge for Scottish Labour

By Jamie Glackin / @Jamie4Labour

Following the tragic death of the much loved David Cairns, Team Labour are presented with an opportunity to dust ourselves down and get back in the saddle to campaign in the Inverclyde by-election. The hurt that surrounded the Scottish Labour Party since the crushing defeat from the SNP is subsiding now. People throughout Scotland are up for the fight and ready to make the case for Labour in a Westminster by-election.

Organisationally, we are in a good position. Several thousand voters have already been contacted; we are there on the ground working with local members and our candidate, the excellent Iain McKenzie is in place. From now until election day, Team Labour will focus on building up the contact rate until those contacts are exhausted. We take with us the experience we have from winning in Glenrothes and Glasgow North East. We have also learnt from the loss we suffered in Glasgow East.

On the face of it, David Cairns’ increase of the Labour vote in 2010 to a majority of over 15,000 looks unassailable. But we have been here before. The shadow of our Scottish election defeat still hangs over us and our opponents are in bullish mood. Our opposition here will of course come from the SNP, whose candidate, Anne McLaughlin, could not be described as coming out of the SNP’s top drawer. They however know that the real candidate here is not Anne McLaughlin, but will be Alex Salmond.

Salmond still has egg on his face following bold predictions made before the Glenrothes by-election. Carping Obama, he wore out the, ‘Yes We Can!’ mantra on the roundabouts and in the shopping centre in Glenrothes. Only for it to become ‘No We Couldn’t,’ the day after Lindsay Roy’s victory. Despite winning so handsomely in the Scottish Parliament elections this year, Salmond’s team will remember that loss and will be out for revenge. But who or what will their attacks be focussed on?

Most likely Ed Miliband and London Labour. They will be the over-riding themes of the SNP campaign. The SNP will claim that the Scottish Labour Party will be looking over their shoulder to their masters in London to tell them what to do, bowed by the yoke of subservience to bosses who neither understand the Scottish Party nor the Scottish people. All of which is plainly untrue, but they’ve got away with it before.

The Inverclyde by-election will most likely take place during the review period set in motion by Ed Miliband and Iain Gray. A review group to oversee the process has now been established comprising all strands of the Labour family in Scotland. Anyone with a keen eye on social networks will already spot a trend forming where Scottish members feel disenfranchised from the UK Labour Party. We need to acknowledge and address these concerns, because its clearly not just party members who feel that way, it’s the Scottish people as well. Whilst it will take Scottish Labour some time to engage with its members and the communities we (used to) serve, its fair to say that not everything in the garden is rosy. Therefore we cannot possibly go into this election claiming that nothing is wrong. We have to be straight with people. And we have to be, and seen to be, on their side.

But this is a By Election, so surely it will be business as usual? I sincerely hope not. If we fight this campaign with the same narrative as the 80’s (cuts, unemployment, welfare), then the SNP managers will be rubbing their hands. We have an opportunity in Inverclyde to rediscover our soul and to take forward a positive message that only a UK Labour government can deliver on. In his hustings speech, Iain McKenzie spoke warmly of his love of the Inverclyde area. His commitment to the people whom he already serves on the local council is unquestioned. We need to build on this passion to frame the campaign, as we can win and win well if we offer a better version of Inverclyde from opposition and then government. The SNP and the media may try to frame this as Salmond V Miliband. But we cannot let that happen. This by-election is about focussing on improving lives in the area to the extent that more people want to move to the constituency. Depopulation is the biggest problem that Inverclyde faces, the knock-on effects being increased unemployment, falling living standards and an over reliance on welfare, despite having an exceptionally talented labour pool. David Cairns made it his mission in life to improve this situation and played a major role in attracting key employers to the area. It will be up to the new MP to build on David’s legacy and on UK Labour to take it much further.

This is a real test for Scottish Labour. It’s a test for UK Labour. The Scottish membership want to re-engage with its heartlands and to broaden its appeal throughout Scotland. So lets have some humility and say that we didn’t always get it right in the past. We may believe that we offer a better alternative to Cameron. But our test in Inverclyde will be to offer a better alternative to Salmond.