Scottish Labour could follow Welsh party by ‘allowing pro-indy candidates’
Labour in Scotland could follow the party’s example in Wales by allowing pro-independence candidates to stand in parliamentary elections.
According to the Sunday Times it is one of the options that senior Labour figures are discussing in a bid to overturn more than a decade of SNP dominance in Scotland.
Unlike the party in Scotland, Welsh Labour has managed to stay in power throughout devolution, and it won 30 out of 60 seats at the last Senedd election.
A source close to Labour’s Leader in Westminster Keir Starmer has suggested it could help the party claw back votes from the SNP, as part of a wide-range of measures which could include embracing so called devo-max.
This would see further powers devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Under the plan, power over foreign affairs and defence would still be held in Westminster.
A senior Labour source told the Sunday Times: “Yes we are a pro-unionist party but we are a broad church. That means you could have candidates who back independence. You don’t have to have a binary position; you can have people with different stances.”
Scottish Labour said: “Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar are committed to delivering a Labour government that works for all people across the UK.”
John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, has warned that recent polls suggest devo-max is less popular than the status quo or independence.
He said: “Devo-max does not address the issue that now fuels much of the support for independence: opposition to Brexit.”
Welsh Labour fielded three pro-independence candidates at the last Senedd election. Cian Ireland stood for the party in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Dylan Lewis-Rowlands stood in Ceredigion, and Ben Gwalchmai stood on the Mid and West Wales list.
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“John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, has warned that recent polls suggest devo-max is less popular than the status quo or independence.”
Compromise is never the most popular action but often the only one that will work. Lot’s to do to prove independence or status quo is a legitimate way forward.
The UK is finished Wales 🏴 Scotland 🏴 and Ireland 🇮🇪 must be independent and start fighting for their own country’s
Surely those that want independence would rather have devo-max than the status quo
Devo-max will not give us the rights of a Lander in Germany to veto UK legislation as there there will still be no rights to send our government’s delegates to a UK chamber with ratification/veto powers of collective law making. Secondly without a written constitution Devo-max/federal system can be overturned just as the ‘fixed-term’ parliament act was by authoritarian. I would also like to point out the although Welsh Labour does stand candidates supporting independence, their central NEC only allows them to stand only in seats already held by Plaid Cymru. Watchout, It’s a ploy to weaken the national independence… Read more »
Re the NEC allowing Welsh Labour and Plaid, your assertion is incorrect, I myself and Welsh Labour and pro Independence and I have stood in Labour areas where Plaid may have maybe 1 or 2 councillors.
I think they were on a don’t ask don’t tell footing until recently at least.
#IndyWales all the way for me
I rember the ‘ 79 referefum campaign and was astounded at how hostile so many Liberal & Labour councillors i served with on Clwyd were and how supportive tbe majority independents were and even a significant numbere of moderate Torys were.
When the second referendum came the Labour councillors were far more supportive after having a dose of Mrs T.
It seems being out of power for years focuses thought.?
Will this second dose of loss of influence at Westminster deliver a devo max ? I womder 🤔
I would not trust a supposedly pro-independence Labour candidate an inch.
Mark Drayford is probably the most astute and in touch Labour politician since Bevan. A safe pair of hands.
Scottish Labour do not have the clear red water between them and Westminster that Welsh Labour have. At the moment, at least while Mark Drakeford is in charge, I would actually trust Welsh Labour to deal with a Welsh independence referendum honestly and democratically. Scottish Labour are a totally different story. They are dogmatically unionist, very much the local branch office of the Westminster party, and would actively seek to stop a referendum from happening through fair means or foul. If they were to run pro-independence candidates it would be purely as a tactic to to try to draw votes… Read more »
Scottish Labour are more tory than the tories. So after labour and the tories stood hand in hand and promised Scotland devo max during the Scottish independence referendum, they voted against in wastemonster, and all they can offer is devo max. They lied about it last time and are lying about it now.