So, I promised to update the site with some of my thoughts about the new job and a week or so into recess seems as good a time to do it as any.
First off, thank you to all the party members, friends, family, organisations, colleagues, and ordinary Glaswegians for the many good wishes.
I will do my best to live up to the responsibility I have been given.
Parliament is an interesting place. So far I’ve learned that meetings and requests for meetings can easily take up all of your time; and secondly, that in this job some things change pretty fast and some things look like they rarely change at all. The first lesson I will ignore partially by just finding more time to do all the things that are important to me and the second I will take absolute heed of, with the knowledge that the best change comes about because it was intended.
Since being elected, I’ve tried to get to grips with parliamentary procedure, my post bag, and took some time to get to know my colleagues. I’ve asked some questions that I think the Scottish Government should answer (follow the link on the “In Parliament” pages of this site to see some) and I was gutted to miss one maiden speech on the Labour side, but enjoyed being in the Chamber for all of the others, and most from the other benches. The different voices in the Scottish Parliament after the election will, if for no other reason, make it a very different place now.
The review of my Party following our election defeat is well underway and there are lots of good ideas, some less good and lots that I am open to persuasion about.
Time will tell which are runners and which should be implemented.
One thing that has struck me from talking to those who lost their seats as well as those who have been, often unexpectedly, elected is that there is some pessimism out there about how, or whether, Scottish Labour will bounce back.
So here’s one prediction which I think is worth considering: Salmond will resign the SNP leadership in this Parliament.
He will do so after the referendum, and it will be either after he has won our national freedom and is standing for Speaker, Queen, Presiding Officer, EU President, UN Secretary General (after that sectarianism debacle, Pope seems unlikely) or contented retirement in Linlithgow with Moira. Alternatively, he will resign following a decisive, but not embarrassing, vote of confidence in the Union.
First Minister Sturgeon will do well and enjoy the 2014 Games, but she will be unable to account for the failings of the Scottish Government which will have ignored too many of Scotland’s problems for too long while the referendum campaign took precedence.
In contrast, Scottish Labour under the overall leadership of Johann Lamont/Jackie Baillie/Jim Murphy/Ian Murray/Ken Macintosh/Anas Sarwar/Hugh Henry/Jenny Marra/Greg McClymont/Gemma Doyle/Douglas Alexander/Patricia Ferguson/David Martin will be putting the Government under pressure. The Scottish Party will prioritise the defence of ordinary Scots and bring forward radical ideas in tune with our progressive values which are in harmony with the public mood. Scots will be looking for Labour optimism after years of Tory cuts and constitutional navel gazing.
I will be doing my bit both inside my Party and by speaking up for Glasgow and the causes I care about.
Scottish Labour will bounce back because, for the people we represent, we have to.
One further thought, the SNP will sensibly decide not to ditch Nicola Sturgeon after one defeat and she will become an impressive leader of a constructive opposition and a Party which will be ready to work with the new Scottish Labour government on the many issues and concerns in which we share Scotland’s interest.
If you are a constituent, (or even if you’re not), get in touch if you would like to know more about my priorities in this term or if you want to share your own with me. I have been working away since the start of recess and out and about in Glasgow as much as I can. I’ll take my two weeks in the sunshine before the end of the month and will post again in August.
All the best,
Drew
