The experience sent my head on mad journey about what the
point of all this is….one that ended up making parallels between the current
status of the Scottish Labour Party and The Rangers Football Club.
The things
we really care about create passion, belief, conviction and require a hands-on
connection to their source. When I was introduced to Aiden (by the SNP
candidate for Dumfries and Galloway, Richard Arkless) I was talking to Aileen
MacLeod (MSP and Minister for the Environment)….I have known Aileen since she was
first campaigning to be an MSP and we are very proud of her down in the South
West. Aiden said to me later that he had been surprised how difficult it was to
tell the difference between the volunteers and the politicians at the
gathering………and there it is...‘hands-on connection’ in a nutshell.
When Rangers’ troubles emerged a few years back and they
were demoted to the Third division there were many emotions and opinions flying
around….but one I remember clearly was the real hope that this situation might
lead to a re-connection with the ‘real values’ of football. That hope sketched a vision that Rangers might look to
their grassroots, re-connect with their community and build a team from that
renewed connection….a team that would capture the imagination of the whole
country in their attempt to re-scale the heights of the game and re-ignite
passion, belief and conviction in the game itself and its power to inspire.
Football - the real thing |
Unfortunately The Rangers chose not to take this path –
instead they tried to cling to what they believed to be their rightful status –
they continued to pay players and staff way beyond what the games they were
playing justified. The team had the look of bloated mercenaries…paid, because
there were none that believed in the cause. The idea seemed to be that if the
illusion of greatness could be maintained long enough then everything would go
back to normal.
Arnie, Sly and Willis .....the Expendables |
In 1922 James Maxton was one the Independent Labour Party
candidates elected to Westminster from Glasgow the group left Central Station
with the cheers of a massive crowd ringing in their ears.
James Maxton was regarded as the greatest orator of his age |
Maxton and colleague leaving Glasgow for London after his election to Westminster parliament |
First the 2011 Holyrood election, then the Independence Referendum should surely have been a massive wake up call to the Scottish
Labour party that the foundation built for them by people like Maxton and the
status they had enjoyed as ‘Scotland’s Party’ was under massive question.
Scottish Labour faced the same situation as The Rangers….unfortunately, it
seems they have made the same choice. They appear to believe that propping up
an illusion of authority by hiring ‘big hitters’ will see off this upstart
challenge which has captured the imagination of Aiden and thousands of others
like him.
For their sakes lets hope they don’t draw Raith Rovers in
the cup anytime soon
Arnie, Sly and Murphy...The Expendables |
The cry of ‘Vote Scotland’ is crucial now as is the intoxicating passion of
seeing our country play its part on bigger stages as it establishes itself as an independent state. But part of achieving this aim is to have the good sense to look further into the future and imagine what our society will need then - diverse
and powerful debate about different options
for creating Social Democracy, Social Justice and Social
Economy. For this to come to pass we need groups like the Scottish Labour Party to have the humility to re-invent themselves and embrace the potential for building the sort of country that James Maxton would be proud to
call home.
But for now Vote Scotland, #ButterflyRevolution, Yes Alliance etc, etc will be enough to see Scotland as a counter balance to the neo-liberalism of Westminster
But for now Vote Scotland, #ButterflyRevolution, Yes Alliance etc, etc will be enough to see Scotland as a counter balance to the neo-liberalism of Westminster
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