Voting has begun in the ninth ballot to elect a Scottish Labour Party leader since devolution in 1999 – and/or the sixth in a decade. The post is destined to be a permanent poisoned chalice, it would appear, yet both the 2017 candidates, Richard Leonard and Anwas Sarwar, insist they are offering a change of…leadership.Leadership – if I hear either candidate utter “I believe … [Read more...] about Scottish Labour and grassroots democracy
Jeremy Corbyn
Goodbye from her…and me
When Kezia Dugdale opened our Politicians & Professionals series in January, I introduced her by saying she was the first Labour leader in the four-year history of the event to appear more than once. All the other party heads had been in post throughout the period.I knew then that I would not be able to welcome her for a third time because I would be retiring before the … [Read more...] about Goodbye from her…and me
Can Corbyn keep the faith with young voters?
On the 8th of June, my school held a mock election. I was responsible for instructing people at the 'polling station' and counting the votes afterwards. Most people at my school could not vote in the real election that day, and were happy to get this chance. The results were revealing.Of course, there were instances when boys tried to vote UKIP “for a laugh” (UKIP weren't … [Read more...] about Can Corbyn keep the faith with young voters?
Jeremy Corbyn, ‘Holy Fool’
On a blustery morning in early May Labour’s election battle bus edged through Lowestoft’s narrow streets, passing Suffolk Aerial Installations, Chick King Kebab and Mr Bumbles Cafe before parking opposite the putting green by the seafront.Jeremy Corbyn had arrived to take an improbable stroll along the promenade. After a couple of minutes the coach door slowly slid open and … [Read more...] about Jeremy Corbyn, ‘Holy Fool’
How to keep young people engaged in politics?
Young people voted in greater numbers in 2017 than in previous elections. Young people were also particularly involved in and because of Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign. Yet the result looks to be a weaker, less stable Conservative government propped up by the DUP. Gemma Bird considers the implications of this irony for the future of political engagement among the young. The 8th of … [Read more...] about How to keep young people engaged in politics?