We Wuz Gubbed
No this wasn't the Scotland football manager speaking - this was the candid assessment of Douglas Alexander - on the performance of the Scottish Labour party in recent years.
Douglas is a key Labour strategist - a forward thinker - someone who has been the heart of previous Scottish and UK election campaigns.
So whether people agree with Douglas or not - his views deserve to be taken seriously.
The good news - from Labour's point of view - is that Douglas seems willing to call a spade a spade - and speak honestly rather than in code language.
For example, he admits that Labour have been seen by Scottish voters as opposing things just for the sake of it - such as the SNP government's proposal on minimum alcohol pricing - in the last Scottish Parliament.
Warming to his theme, Douglas concedes that Labour in Scotland have become almost entirely negative - attacking the SNP relentlessly, but without proposing alternative policies.
Broadly speaking, I agree with that assessment of where the Labour party has lost its way - it is now a party of narrow vested interests - and doesn't even try to speak for the whole of Scotland these days.
The political culture inside the Labour party is dominated by the trade unions - who no longer reflect the views of ordinary members - and local councillors - whose role is becoming less and less relevant.
Labour's world fell apart in May 2011 - when the party was crushed by the SNP - who went on to win an unprecedented majority in the Scottish Parliament.
Douglas Alexander is trying to put Humpy Dumpty back together again - but this will only happen if Labour breaks with the past - and sets out to broaden its appeal.
But what I fail to understand is why someone like Douglas Alexander is not standing to be the leader of the Scottish Labour party - the top banana - the numero uno.
The person who will say what needs to be said - to restore Labour's fortunes.
Because it looks as if Douglas and other 'big hitters' in the Labour party - have nice cosy lives down in Westminster - which they don't want to disturb too much.
None of the big Labour figures - Gordon Brown, John Reid, Jim Murphy or Douglas Alexander himself - seem prepared to make a few sacrifices - and step up to the plate.
And the message this sends to the voters is very confusing - it says that the leading Labour figures in Scotland are too busy or too self-obsessed - to lead the party in a new direction.
Douglas is a key Labour strategist - a forward thinker - someone who has been the heart of previous Scottish and UK election campaigns.
So whether people agree with Douglas or not - his views deserve to be taken seriously.
The good news - from Labour's point of view - is that Douglas seems willing to call a spade a spade - and speak honestly rather than in code language.
For example, he admits that Labour have been seen by Scottish voters as opposing things just for the sake of it - such as the SNP government's proposal on minimum alcohol pricing - in the last Scottish Parliament.
Warming to his theme, Douglas concedes that Labour in Scotland have become almost entirely negative - attacking the SNP relentlessly, but without proposing alternative policies.
Broadly speaking, I agree with that assessment of where the Labour party has lost its way - it is now a party of narrow vested interests - and doesn't even try to speak for the whole of Scotland these days.
The political culture inside the Labour party is dominated by the trade unions - who no longer reflect the views of ordinary members - and local councillors - whose role is becoming less and less relevant.
Labour's world fell apart in May 2011 - when the party was crushed by the SNP - who went on to win an unprecedented majority in the Scottish Parliament.
Douglas Alexander is trying to put Humpy Dumpty back together again - but this will only happen if Labour breaks with the past - and sets out to broaden its appeal.
But what I fail to understand is why someone like Douglas Alexander is not standing to be the leader of the Scottish Labour party - the top banana - the numero uno.
The person who will say what needs to be said - to restore Labour's fortunes.
Because it looks as if Douglas and other 'big hitters' in the Labour party - have nice cosy lives down in Westminster - which they don't want to disturb too much.
None of the big Labour figures - Gordon Brown, John Reid, Jim Murphy or Douglas Alexander himself - seem prepared to make a few sacrifices - and step up to the plate.
And the message this sends to the voters is very confusing - it says that the leading Labour figures in Scotland are too busy or too self-obsessed - to lead the party in a new direction.
