By Tom Morisson
Dec. 10, 2019
AS many acknowledge, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity this Thursday to elect a left-led Labour government. The thought of waking up on Friday morning with Boris Johnson and his hard-right cabal celebrating victory is too much to contemplate.
But why is Scottish Labour doing so poorly in the polls?
Scottish Communists at our recent congress acknowledged the lies and distortions Jeremy Corbyn has had to contend with over the last few years, never mind the backlash a Corbyn transformational government would face from the class enemy should they actually win.
From social media, and discussions with trade union and community activists, it can be seen that many working-class people in Scotland still feel betrayed by Labour, especially by the Better Together blunder when Labour joined with the Tories in the independence referendum.
Despite the change in the Labour Party leadership, the term Red Tory still gets used. A vote for the SNP and an independent Scotland is still seen as an escape from the Tories and a step towards socialism, despite the SNP record at Holyrood and in local authorities.
Read more at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-still-relies-organised-working-class
Labour in power will ‘diminish appetite’ for Scottish independence, Leonard argues
By Peter Lazenby
Dec. 9, 2019
A SOCIALIST Labour government in Westminster would “diminish” Scottish support for independence, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said yesterday.
Labour’s plans for investment in public services and communities across the country would offer a radical change to the Tories after a decade of austerity, Mr Leonard said.
He also said Labour would commit to abolishing the House of Lords — replacing it with a second chamber for the nations and regions — in a bid to decentralise power from Westminster.
“For 10 years and therefore in most people’s recent memory, there has been a hostile, antipathetic government at a UK level to the government in Scotland and to the priorities of the Scottish Parliament,” Mr Leonard said.
He said Labour wanted to change the era of austerity “forever.”
Read more at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-power-will-diminish-appetite-scottish-independence-leonard-argues
