Scottish Labour rebrand with new thistle logo: LabourList readers react

A spokesperson said: “We’re on the the side of Scots, and hope they’ll join us so we can build the future together. To do that, we need new ideas and new thinking. At Scottish Labour conference this week, you will hear Anas Sarwar relentlessly focus on the future.”

LabourList believes the whole party needs a rethink of its branding – and agrees that a distinctive logo for Scottish Labour is a good idea. But what do our readers reckon? In the morning email today, we asked for your thoughts on the new branding.

Some took the assignment less than seriously. Jim said Labour should just use “the Tory logo”. Tony suggested: “Change the party colours to beige?”. But others had more positive feedback to offer.

One reader, Michael, said he sees “the advantage of a distinct Scottish Labour brand” and suggested that “more regional branding” across the board could address concerns over London dominance. But he also foresaw practical problems with the colour gradient used in the Scottish Labour logo when local parties print their own materials.

A reader with very kind words for our morning briefing, Dan, wrote: “I agree I think the whole brand of UK Labour needs to be looked at. What has taught us about recent elections is consistent branding with our messaging is very important.

“I am a Scottish Labour member and think the thistle logo is great and I like its Celtic influence too. I think the logo needs to go further and the thistle is encapsulated within a shape – maybe a cross to indicate votes, a red flag, a diamond shape or even the outline of Scotland. I also agree we need to embrace the colour red.”

Praising the new look, Brendan was straight to the point. “Big improvement. It’s bold and knows its job. The previous logo was limp,” he said. Similarly, Lynne told us: “The Scottish rebrand is a good idea, the English rose is obviously off-putting there. I also think the shading draws the eye more than a single colour.”

Another reader, Sue, told us: “I think the rebrand is what’s needed to encourage voters to change their mindsets away from Westminster to focus on the fight against SNP. Scotland has always been proud of its national identity and the new logo gives encouragement to a new way of doing things. We’re still part of UK but making our own waves.”