Scottish Labour should debate different ideas after its catastrophic result in May’s Holyrood election, former first minister Jack McConnell has said.
Lord McConnell – the last Labour first minister – has said he hopes Andy Burnham’s rise to the leadership at a UK level will change the party in Scotland and allow for a radical shake-up.
While the party is the joint second-largest in Scotland, it dropped seats in May, falling to just 17 MSPs, prompting calls for a re-think from internal figures.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland on Monday, just hours before Mr Burnham was due to take over as prime minister, Lord McConnell was asked about a potential split from UK Labour.
“I like the idea that Burnham is going to run a different kind of Labour Party in terms of debating ideas within the party and outwith the party,” he said.
“I noticed recently there’s been a relatively small group of Scottish Labour figures, some of whom were candidates in the recent election, who’ve been pushing this point of view.
“Now, rather than close down that debate, which would have been the case under several leaders in the recent past, I think it’s really important that we can have these debates.”
Mr McConnell pointed to Labour’s performance in the 1992 general election in Scotland, where a “massive review” resulted in changes which improved the party’s fortunes in 1997.
“I think the Scottish Labour Party’s got to have a proper debate, not just about its relationship with the UK party, but about its own policy platform, its ambitions, its internal structure and the campaigning style of the party, what we see the Scottish Parliament as being for,” he added.
“I would strongly urge the leadership of the Scottish party – Douglas Alexander, Anas Sarwar, Jackie Baillie – I would urge them to open this debate up and to welcome the fact that people will want to make a contribution based on their experience in that recent election campaign with such a disappointing result.”
Andy Burnham, he added, would “create a political mood in the whole country” which will aim to de-centralise power.
“I think he’s much more confident in his skin than a lot of previous prime ministers have been,” Lord McConnell said.
“I think he will be pushing for people to take control, to seize the opportunities of decentralisation and devolution and he’ll want to work with people of all parties in those positions, but I think it will be about creating the mood in the country that then energises the country for economic growth and great social cohesion.”
SNP MSP Kate Campbell, however, said: “The fact Scottish Labour need permission from London Labour to change the structure of their own party sums it up – Scottish Labour answers to Westminster, the SNP answers to the people of Scotland.”
She added: “This is a perennial debate in the Scottish Labour Party and will remain so for as long as they continue to deny the democratic right of the Scottish people to decide our own future.
“If key Scottish Labour figures think independence is the answer for them, they should consider if independence is the answer for Scotland.”
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