tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399785089945207672.post6622178193028907937..comments2021-10-20T19:13:29.167+01:00Comments on Eleanor M Harris: I'd like Sarah Boyack for Scottish Labour leader, pleaseEleanor M Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12402514322954279951noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399785089945207672.post-39664601122754322182014-11-29T22:50:30.664+00:002014-11-29T22:50:30.664+00:00One of the reasons why I've finally come round...One of the reasons why I've finally come round to supporting Boyack's candidacy (having initially been somewhat ambivalent about the whole leadership shenanigans) is her erstwhile career in planning - something of a niche interest for most politicians these days. She is also the only member of Donald Dewar's first cabinet to still remain in parliament. I wouldn't be terribly disheartened were Neil Findlay to win, however; for that reason I've cast my second preference vote for him.<br /><br />Your adoption of a four-dimensional nexus as a means of understanding Scottish politics is interesting; it echoes comments made (in a completely different context) by Robin McAlpine at the Radical Independence conference a few days ago about the 'physics' of the post-referendum political landscape. Westminster, though, has to fit in this somewhere; it remains to be seen how any Scottish Labour leader can hope to maintain the party's interests in such issues north of the border while remaining complementary to those of the UK party. Skilful diplomacy and mutual understanding are needed: if Boyack and (presumably) Ed Miliband were to achieve a relationship on just such a basis, then that would be an achievement worth having. Incidentally, this is something Jim Murphy *cannot* do - a worse fit for Miliband one could not hope to find.<br /><br />On only one point do I disagree: the likelihood that Scottish politics will, in the short term, become less confrontational and partisan is somewhat remote, and I doubt the force of any one political personality can change that. The existence of the 'national question' creates the conditions for irreconciliable conflict; indeed, it seems to be reinforcing the kind of political divisions that I had the hoped the more pluralist parliamentary system in Scotland would diminish. This is not simply a dig at the SNP: all parties (including ours) have their crosses to bear. I would say we're learning faster, though; perhaps this is because we're having to.CJAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399785089945207672.post-84420746990784779792014-11-03T19:44:56.479+00:002014-11-03T19:44:56.479+00:00Nice blog! I like Sarah too but as a socialist I c...Nice blog! I like Sarah too but as a socialist I could never join the labour party. I'm afraid they are too right wing for me (like a tory lite party). Also I cannot forget Iraq, their support of nuclear weapons or the way they behaved as a narrow minded British nationalist party during the indyref. Maybe you'll manage to help steer them back to their founding principles! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6399785089945207672.post-28232042656284810552014-11-03T13:38:47.175+00:002014-11-03T13:38:47.175+00:00Interesting and good luck. The commentators who li...Interesting and good luck. The commentators who list so many of the issues you list and then say "Well it has to be Jim Murphy, then" don't seem to be aware of the disconnection they are making.Matthew Kilburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16994266455623606284noreply@blogger.com