Labour’s victory lap in Scotland had a hint of what the SNP once enjoyed
Labour rallies in Scotland have been far from headline news for a very long time.
Their political sparkle fizzled out in the wake of the independence referendum in 2014 as an electoral punishment for teaming up with the Conservatives in a bitterly bruising campaign.
Opponents have repeatedly poked fun at Labour’s failures at the polls, with a once mighty party severely diminished and struggling to be relevant.
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‘We are the party of change’
The SNP has been the dominant force for so long. They have been the movement with momentum, the high-energy figures rallying their troops, the only party to have won every election in many years.
But today’s Labour victory lap in the wake of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election had a hint of what the nationalists have enjoyed – attention.
The smile could not be wiped off Sir Keir Starmer’s face at the rally in a small car park as he contemplates how his path to power requires Scotland getting on board.
Scottish leader Anas Sarwar has repeatedly been accused by his opponents of being a “branch office” taking orders from his London masters. Those very bosses will no doubt now be looking at funnelling considerable campaign cash north of the border to secure seats next year.
Testing the mood of the nation is a tricky move in a polarised country still paralysed by debates over its future. Every policy move and political conversation is seen through the prism of the independence referendum.
Anas Sarwar (right) celebrates Michael Shanks’s Scottish Labour win
‘I was very torn’
At a soft play in nearby Cambuslang, voters were digesting a Labour victory.
Mum Jenny Koca held her daughter as she talked about voting for the SNP but swaying towards Labour.
She said: “I did vote SNP – I was very, very torn. It’s hard to put a positive spin on the result and it’s easy to see why people are looking elsewhere just now.”
Another mother is a Conservative voter who believes the SNP’s defeat in this area was to be expected.
Hazel said: “The mistakes Labour made the last time they were in power put me off, but everyone deserves a second chance.”
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There are some senior nationalist figures who fear a disaster looming in the 2026 Scottish elections.
Westminster boss Stephen Flynn says his party cannot carry on as “business as usual”. Many will see this as a dig at the wider leadership strategy and direction of the SNP.
Less than 12 months ago, then first minister Nicola Sturgeon had promised a second indyref in October 2023 – this month – an unthinkable concept in the current climate.
The chaos of this by-election reveals yet again how volatile politics is.
Sir Ed Davey has written to King Charles to explain why he believes he has to refuse his invite to a state banquet for Donald Trump.
The Lib Dem leader said on Wednesday he will be boycotting the dinner next month during the US president’s second state visit to the UK because of the situation in Gaza.
He told Sky News on Thursday: “I’ve written to him [the King] personally explaining my thinking.
“And it’s with deep regret that I’ve had to take the decision, but I feel with what is going on in Gaza, it’s the best way I can get my voice heard.”
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Sir Ed said the “sad truth” is Mr Trump is the “one man” who has the power to stop the “horrible famine in Gaza, could get the hostages released, could bring an end to this horrendous humanitarian crisis”.
He said the US president could do that by phoning up Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and telling him to stop.
The Lib Dem leader said Mr Trump could also call up the Qatari government and other Gulf states to get them to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining 50 Israeli hostages (20 living, 30 dead) they took on 7 October 2023.
The King and Donald Trump during his first state visit in 2019. Pic: Reuters
He emphasised that he has “huge respect” for the King and it was a very difficult decision he “really wrestled with” and involved him talking to his wife and praying about it.
Sir Ed denied it was political posturing and instead is one of the only ways he could get Mr Trump to listen.
“I didn’t want him to come to the UK without being reminded, as best I can, that he has that moral responsibility, frankly,” he added.
“And from what I’m picking up from many people, there are people across the political spectrum who agree with me and the Democrats that it is Donald Trump, it is the United States who has this power over Netanyahu, over Hamas, albeit indirectly, to stop this horrendous situation.”
Publicly refusing the King’s invite is “the best way I can get my voice heard,” Sir Ed said.
Read more:
British journalists demand action from PM over war in Gaza
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King Charles will host a state dinner for Donald Trump. Pic: PA
Tony Blair at White House Gaza meeting
While Sir Ed is choosing to snub Mr Trump to get his voice heard, former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair has been asked by the US president for help on Gaza.
Sir Tony joined a White House meeting on Wednesday, chaired by Mr Trump, to discuss the war in Gaza and post-war plans for the Palestinian territory, a senior White House official confirmed.
They were joined by Mr Trump’s former Middle East envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to also discuss the hostage crisis and plans to escalate food aid deliveries.
The official described it as “simply a policy meeting”.
In July, the Financial Times reported the Tony Blair Institute had participated in a project to develop a post-war Gaza plan, with the think tank having “had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza but none included the idea of forcible relocation of people from Gaza”.
Sir Ed called on Sir Tony to be quizzed in parliament about his discussions with the Trump administration.
“If he has special insight into Trump’s intentions, it’s only right that parliament and the government are made privy to this,” he said.
“We must leverage all the information and resources at our disposal to make Trump do the right thing.”
The change is part of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s “crypto sprint,” an initiative to overhaul regulations in response to proposals from the Trump administration.
The US government announced on Tuesday that it is publishing economic data onchain to boost transparency for government spending.
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