On Sunday Neil Findlay, one of the candidates for the leadership of Labour in Scotland, said at a meeting that 'Nicola Sturgeon is more interested in destroying Labour than gaining independence'. Apparently this follows Ms Sturgeon saying that 'she wants the SNP to replace Labour as the party of “social and economic progess” in Scotland'.
Yesterday on Scotland Tonight Katy Clark, one of the candidates for the deputy leadership was heard to declare that, in the context of the forthcoming General Election in 2015, 'it might be Scotland that lets us down' .
Both of these statements show that Labour has learned nothing from the referendum campaign. They still have a feeling of entitlement to the Scottish vote, a feeling that they shouldn't have to earn those votes, a feeling that they should still be regarded as the only party of social and economic progress.
They have taken Scotland for granted for so long that they no longer seem to know how to persuade the voters to their cause. They still imagine that 'vote for Labour to keep out the Tories' is the only justification they need for people to vote for them. They also seem to think that they shouldn't have to compete with any other party.
They are a still blinded by their visceral hatred of the SNP, to the point when they can't see how this is impeding them. I have news for Mr Findlay. At Nicola Sturgeon's road show at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh the Labour party was barely mentioned.
Time to wake up and smell the coffee. Labour have done themselves immense damage by standing together with the Tories during the referendum campaign, and this will not be easily forgotten. Unlike in England, we do have alternatives here.
You want Scotland's votes? Earn them.
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