As Iain Gray observed in his valedictory address to the Labour Conference yesterday as Scottish leader, in 1999 Labour devolved government without devolving itself. Now it has an opportunity to put that right.
Yesterday the party agreed by an overwhelming majority to full devolution from the UK party on all Scottish matters. The next Scottish Labour leader will not merely head the party’s contingent in the Scottish Parliament but be commander-in-chief of the Scottish party. The mechanics of this arrangement will be decided at a separate Scottish conference next month. Though this stretches out the leadership contest further, it is necessary, in order to avoid the charge that the new arrangement will remain subject to diktat from London. Many will remain to be convinced that the Scottish party will enjoy real autonomy. Though it opens the leadership contest up to Scottish MPs and MEPs, as well as MSPs, it is unclear how relationships between these groups will work, especially in the event of a divergence of views between London and Edinburgh.
Time is ripe for Labour Party to devolve itself
One day the Scottish Labour Party may be grateful for the gubbing it received at the Holyrood elections in May.
As Iain Gray observed in his valedictory address to the Labour Conference yesterday as Scottish leader, in 1999 Labour devolved government without devolving itself. Now it has an opportunity to put that right.
Yesterday the party agreed by an overwhelming majority to full devolution from the UK party on all Scottish matters. The next Scottish Labour leader will not merely head the party’s contingent in the Scottish Parliament but be commander-in-chief of the Scottish party. The mechanics of this arrangement will be decided at a separate Scottish conference next month. Though this stretches out the leadership contest further, it is necessary, in order to avoid the charge that the new arrangement will remain subject to diktat from London. Many will remain to be convinced that the Scottish party will enjoy real autonomy. Though it opens the leadership contest up to Scottish MPs and MEPs, as well as MSPs, it is unclear how relationships between these groups will work, especially in the event of a divergence of views between London and Edinburgh.
Most read Most commented
Don't show me this again.