The SNP face an uphill struggle to retain Dundee and wider urban Scotland amid a Labour resurgence. Just what has went wrong in the nationalists' 'yes city'?
It probably will if you offer SNP voters a referendum. For all the smug and premature commentary on the SNPs demise, Scottish Labour will do well to remember that 50% still want independence.
For the next five+ years Labour will be betting that independence will remain lower salience compared to cost of living, healthcare, housing etc. Expect the party line to be 'now is not the time' from here through 2030 (unless the SNP can get their act together, but I struggle to see Swinney being the leader who can deliver that)
Agreed on Swinney, but what we are likely to see is a renewed focus on independence when it becomes clear that labour have nothing to offer to improve education and healthcare. It is unclear whether the enemy for labour is the SNP or independence
The enemy for a revived Scottish Labour would be a revived and well led independence movement not dominated by the immediate self-serving political needs of the SNP ancien regime
Yes but that doesn't answer the question. Can Sarwar offer something that the SNP can't? Or is it a case of preventing independence at all costs. Onc it is clear that there will be no change and you can't just do it better...support will return to the only major party prepared to actually boost spending by raising taxes.
First term Labour UK Gov won't be particularly bold, you're correct a big risk of expectations misaligning. Economy is a mess, national finances poor, Lab is being so fiscally austere likely to dampen down expectations. But it does mean no bold radicalism on the constitution either.
It probably will if you offer SNP voters a referendum. For all the smug and premature commentary on the SNPs demise, Scottish Labour will do well to remember that 50% still want independence.
For the next five+ years Labour will be betting that independence will remain lower salience compared to cost of living, healthcare, housing etc. Expect the party line to be 'now is not the time' from here through 2030 (unless the SNP can get their act together, but I struggle to see Swinney being the leader who can deliver that)
Agreed on Swinney, but what we are likely to see is a renewed focus on independence when it becomes clear that labour have nothing to offer to improve education and healthcare. It is unclear whether the enemy for labour is the SNP or independence
The enemy for a revived Scottish Labour would be a revived and well led independence movement not dominated by the immediate self-serving political needs of the SNP ancien regime
Yes but that doesn't answer the question. Can Sarwar offer something that the SNP can't? Or is it a case of preventing independence at all costs. Onc it is clear that there will be no change and you can't just do it better...support will return to the only major party prepared to actually boost spending by raising taxes.
First term Labour UK Gov won't be particularly bold, you're correct a big risk of expectations misaligning. Economy is a mess, national finances poor, Lab is being so fiscally austere likely to dampen down expectations. But it does mean no bold radicalism on the constitution either.
You are saying Labour self imposed austerity will prevent a 2nd referendum? That is unlikely to be a vote winner in Scotland.