Dead Hands and Clunking Fists
The post mortem on the Labour party's dreadful drubbing in the Scottish Parliament elections - has yet to begin in earnest.
But what any honest assessment of Labour's performance should face up to - is that the party is well and truly over for the machine-like politics that have dominated Labour in Scotland - for the past two decades.
Which requires the party to accept that the vice like grip of Gordon Brown - and his highly organised network of trade union supporters - has finally had its day.
The reality is that the once great clunking fist has turned into a dead hand and if Labour is to move on - the party needs to change its spots.
Gordon Brown and his supporters are responsible for all the key strategic decisions - which have brought Scottish Labour to its knees.
The selection of Iain Gray as the party leader in Scotland is the most obvious sign of the Brownites lack of judgement.
As was the earlier decision to give the job to Wendy Alexander - who proved not to be up to the task.
And all this meddling, remote controlling and political fixing does the party no good in the long run - as recent events have now shown.
What Scottish Labour needs is a healthy dose of democracy - the introduction of one member one vote - and an end to the old ways of working that have so disfigured the party in recent years.
But what any honest assessment of Labour's performance should face up to - is that the party is well and truly over for the machine-like politics that have dominated Labour in Scotland - for the past two decades.
Which requires the party to accept that the vice like grip of Gordon Brown - and his highly organised network of trade union supporters - has finally had its day.
The reality is that the once great clunking fist has turned into a dead hand and if Labour is to move on - the party needs to change its spots.
Gordon Brown and his supporters are responsible for all the key strategic decisions - which have brought Scottish Labour to its knees.
The selection of Iain Gray as the party leader in Scotland is the most obvious sign of the Brownites lack of judgement.
As was the earlier decision to give the job to Wendy Alexander - who proved not to be up to the task.
And all this meddling, remote controlling and political fixing does the party no good in the long run - as recent events have now shown.
What Scottish Labour needs is a healthy dose of democracy - the introduction of one member one vote - and an end to the old ways of working that have so disfigured the party in recent years.
