Jack McConnell: Scottish Labour in a ‘sad’ state

Former First Minister Jack McConnell has delivered a damning verdict on the “sad” state of the Labour party in Scotland.

Lord McConnell said Scottish Labour had lost its way after spending too long being angry at the SNP’s success.

The former Labour leader warned his party was “running out of time” to turn things around, adding it had to give

significant ground in crunch talks over increased devolution this week, including allowing Holyrood control over more than half the taxes raised in Scotland.

The intervention comes on the back of a week of renewed speculation about the future of current Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, with some MPs calling for former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to take over the top job.

Lord McConnell said Labour had become a “political machine that is angry about what happened in Scotland”.

“They have found it far too difficult to get over their anger at losing, their anger at Alex

Salmond being First Minister, their anger at the media for not holding the SNP to account enough, their general anger at the state of the world,” he added.

Lord McConnell said the loss of Labour support in its traditional heartland areas was “staggering” and said the current state of the party was, “very sad for Labour, but more importantly it’s very sad for those we represent”.

He said: “What is our purpose? Why should people support us?”

Lord McConnell’s comments came as the first meeting of a new group of Labour activists, who want the party to consider changing its name in Scotland to the Independent Labour Party, took place yesterday.

The Labour for Scotland group backs Holyrood being given full control over income tax, as well as complete responsibility for welfare a position which goes further than Labour’s existing plans for further devolution.

On more powers, Lord McConnell said: “If we are to meet the level of expectation that has now been raised, the UK-wide parties have to move beyond 50% of the tax take. The first challenge for Labour is to make a significant step in that direction.”

The former First Minister identified Nicola Sturgeon becoming the next First Minister as a big threat and said the party “very aware of the scale of the challenge it now faces”.

SNP MSP for Glasgow Kelvin Sandra White said: “Jack McConnell’s criticisms have rounded off a terrible week for Johann Lamont the whispering campaign against her leadership is intensifying, and with one of her senior MSPs starting a new campaign group condemning her alliance with the Tories in the No campaign.”