Why Scottish Labour must heed ex-First Minister's warning over 'acrimony' in leadership contest
Scotland needs a functioning opposition to hold the SNP government to account
During the 2023 SNP leadership contest to find Nicola Sturgeon’s replacement, Kate Forbes summed up the qualities of her rival, the eventual winner Humza Yousaf, in a famous takedown: “You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were Justice Secretary, the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times.”
A year earlier, the battle between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to become UK Conservative leader had also produced harsh words between the two camps. Sunak was accused of “aggressive mansplaining and shouty private school behaviour” and “thrashing around all over the place like a wounded stoat”.
Meanwhile, one of Sunak’s supporters, Dominic Raab, rather presciently described Truss’s plan for large tax cuts as an “electoral suicide note”. If only Tory party members had listened.
READ MORE: Monica Lennon: Scottish Labour leadership contest 'reeks of misogyny and male entitlement'
‘Not good for politics’
Now former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish has warned the party in Scotland to avoid “personal acrimony” as it chooses who will take over from Anas Sarwar, following his decision to join the House of Lords.
"This would be an extravagance that the party can't afford,” he said, adding that Labour must focus on policies, not personalities. “We've had too much of that in the past. It's not good for politics, it's not good for the party.”
When Andy Burnham took over as Prime Minister, he rightly warned the party that this was their “last chance”. His energy and sense of purpose have given Labour a ‘Burnham bounce’ in the opinion polls, and Scottish Labour should be trying to capitalise on that.
However, it may only be temporary. And if Labour politicians focus too much on pulling each other down, they may miss a real opportunity to start to restore their fortunes. After a difficult Scottish election, they cannot scorn such opportunities.
But this is not simply about one party’s fortunes. The Scottish Parliament needs to hold the SNP government to account. If Labour’s 17 MSPs turn inwards on themselves, they could leave a gaping hole where the centre-left opposition should be and engender even greater cynicism about politics among an already jaded public.
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