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With Davidson, Barnes & Tompkins away, all is not well with the Scottish Tories. Can Lab capitalise? We could but it requires reframing our role in the election. The Tories did this well in 16 & 17 - they made election about a protest vote against SNP. We should do 3 things... 1/
First: stop thinking we have to answer maybe to YES/NO to reach *some* yes voters. Realise the difference between change voters & nationalists. We can deliver a change message while arguing that the *process* of more constitutional arguments prevents change. For example... 2/
"With a health crisis, a jobs crisis & our kids missing months of school, the next Scot Govt should be 100% focussed on the NHS, jobs, & schools, rather than going back into old arguments about putting up borders." It's not hard to walk & chew gum. Let's stop arguing about it. 3/
Second: acknowledge we're not going to be biggest party. It's blindingly obvious we're not going to be & by pretending otherwise we undermine the purpose in voting Lab. Instead let's ask people to vote Labour to ensure a focus, over the next few years, on these priorities. 4/
Say to soft SNP voters: "It's better for Scotland when Nicola Sturgeon focusses on running the country. Give her a majority and she'll instead go back to the old arguments about leaving the UK. Vote Lab & we'll keep the SNP working on jobs, schools and the NHS." 5/
If this isn't an election that's about kicking the SNP out then we have to make it about something else. In the centre of the constitutional spectrum, there's so many who desperately want to avoid the divisiveness & distraction of another decade of constitutional bitterness. 6/
A more realistic message frees Lab up to focus on 2 or 3 left issues that become our asks of the SNP rather than doing the dance around 'an alternative programme for government'. We can say the more votes you give us, the more voices there will be for these things. 7/
Third: politics isn't enough, it needs personnel. Delivering a message about a new, focussed purpose for Lab needs new voices & energy. We *must* go into the election with a group of new, ambitious, savvy candidates (who will actually be elected) around the leader. Anyhoo... 8/8
