2025.4 – Reflections on #ScotLab25
My reflections on Scottish Labour Conference 2025; the question being asked of us ahead of 2026, and whether we are offering a clear enough answer. Continue reading 2025.4 – Reflections on #ScotLab25
Tag: Labour
What’s Soft and Yellow?
What’s the difference between a block of butter and the SNP voter base?
While both are soft and yellow – I don’t like my butter thinly spread. [Sorry, Ed.] Continue reading What’s Soft and Yellow?
You need a Pain in the Arse…
My name is Paul Cruikshank and I am a Rules Lawyering, question asking, “Umm Actually”ing, Pain in the Arse…
…but I think you’ll find that’s a good thing, actually. Continue reading You need a Pain in the Arse…
Who’s like her – damn few…
Nicola Sturgeon resigning as First Minister was surprising for many; but also presents some real problems for the SNP going forward – but they have echos of what brought Sturgeon to power in the first place. Continue reading Who’s like her – damn few…
A Good 2 Weeks; A Long 2 Years
The last 2 weeks have seen a massive shift of opinion in Scotland and across the UK; but the 2 years before the next General Election are where Labour needs to put in the real work to make sure they win! Continue reading A Good 2 Weeks; A Long 2 Years
Rebuilding Labour
After the devastating 2019 General Election result both in Scotland and across the UK, what does this tell us about 2017 and 2019, what challenges must Labour face, and how should it approach them in the future? Continue reading Rebuilding Labour
Labour and Anti-Semitism…
…or why it’s still worth fighting for Labour
Now is not a great time to be a Labour Party member. Yes, we are ahead in the polls – though nowhere near as ahead as we should be given this shambolic government – but it is still a difficult time to be a Labour Member.
The Party now is markedly different from the party I joined almost 10 years ago (my 10th Anniversary is 8th September 2018). That Party was committed to fighting all forms of inequality and discrimination, of whatever kind, where it existed, as fully and as forcefully as it could. Recently that difference has shown itself clearly in the Anti-Semitism row, and the NEC’s decision not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA’s) Working Definition and Examples of Anti-Semitism in full.
Thanks Kez
…and how quickly things can change.
This will not be the first Scottish Leadership Election I have written about. When I looked back on Johann Lamont’s leadership I said that there were two things that the Scottish Labour Party had to face up to and change if we were to improve and succeed with going forward: We must be Scottish Labour and we must be Scottish Labour. Under Kez Dugdale, we have done both. Continue reading “Thanks Kez”
Immediate Thoughts on #IndyRef2
Shortly after The EU Referendum I was with a few like minded Labour friends discussing where we go from here. We had all been part of the No campaigns in the #IndyRef in 2014 and all bore the scars of that 18 month long campaign. We remembered the long days,the abuse we faced, the lack of sleep, the 20+ hour polling day – but also the celebrations afterwards.
In spite of this, we all agreed that, if there was another independence referendum was called, after the 2015 Election; after the Scottish Elections just past; after Brexit; after Theresa May…we’d vote Yes. Continue reading “Immediate Thoughts on #IndyRef2”
Head in the Game…
…or Heart on the sleeve. “Tony Blair (and Gordon Brown) were the most important left-wing politicians in the UK since the 70’s. Discuss”. Over my lifetime, I have experienced, in a very real sense two different kinds of UK government. Both have affected real social change across the country, but only one has done it in a way I like. But for some, this wasn’t enough. This … Continue reading Head in the Game…
Paul Cruikshank 