Labour's Women Shoved Aside

One of the more depressing sights during Scotland's referendum campaign was the way that Labour's leading women politicians were ruthlessly pushed aside when the chips were down.

So at the crucial time, in the final countdown to polling day, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont and shadow Scotland secretary Margaret Curran, both self-styled feminists, were brutally shoved to the back of the bus by part-time backbench Labour MP, Gordon Brown.

Now it says something about the Labour Party that this last minute deal making kicks in when the going gets tough, quite undemocratic if you ask me, but the exact same thing happened in the 1999 Scottish referendum which established the Scottish Parliament.

Because in the build up to the 1999 referendum originally there was to be only one question on the ballot paper which asked if people supported the creation of a Scottish Parliament, but at the very last minute a second question was added by Labour leaders in London.

The second question asked if the Scottish Parliament should be allowed to have its own tax varying powers and it was widely regarded as an underhand attempt to sabotage a Yes vote  by introducing yet another hurdle to overcome at the eleventh hour.

Tony Blair used his powers of person to make the case that any parliament worth its salt must have tax varying powers and the problem was eventually resolved, albeit after much heated argument and accusations of sabotage.

So a deal was done which presented the case for a 'Yes Yes' vote as a means of legitimising the status of the embryonic Scottish Parliament even though many viewed the whole affair in a quite different light, as way of hamstringing Holyrood by inviting a Yes No vote.  

As things turned out Scotland voted Yes Yes by a convincing margin and in an ironic twist the tax varying powers (up or down by 3p in the pound) have never been used by any of the four Scottish Government since 1999.  

But the fingerprints of Gordon Brown were all over the Labour's 'Yes Yes' debacle in 1999 and this old-fashioned, last minute, deal making style of politics is the member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath down to a tee - not least because it's all top down politics rather than bottom up as in the manner of the 2014 Yes campaign. 

Nonetheless it's still rather dispiriting to witness supposedly powerful women figures in Scottish politics being reduced to the role of Labour cheerleaders although this may help to explain why a self-styled feminist and equalities champion like Johann Lamont has had nothing of substance to say about the fight for equal pay in Scotland's councils over the past 10 years.  

  

Lamont says she will keep Labour job

BBC web site

Johann Lamont's comments came during first minister's questions in the Scottish Parliament

Johann Lamont has insisted she will remain Scottish Labour leader, despite claims her position was under threat.

She told parliament said she would be doing her job when Alex Salmond, who is standing down as first minister and SNP leader, was "long gone".

Her comments came during the first first minister's questions since the Scottish referendum "No" vote.

Mr Salmond said he had read claims that there were several "anointed successors" to Ms Lamont.

Attacking the Scottish government for its handling of the health service, Ms Lamont told parliament: "When the first minister is long gone, I will still be doing my job on behalf of the people of Scotland."

The independence referendum saw voters backed Scotland staying in the Union 55% to 45%, although a majority for independence was recorded in the traditional Labour stronghold of Glasgow.

Mr Salmond said he had "read in the papers that there seem to be a number of anointed successors for Johann Lamont".

The first minister told MSPs: "Johann Lamont says she's going to be retained in her current position - yes, I hope she continues as leader of the opposition in this parliament for some considerable time."