Scottish Labour must accept responsibility for its election defeat and confront fundamental questions about who it represents, says MSP Daniel Johnson. Writing in the Daily Record, Johnson said the party thought it could win but ultimately failed to advance against a tired and unpopular SNP, which still managed to retain the default choice for many voters.
Johnson, who has been an MSP for 10 years through three election defeats and three leadership contests, said the description of Scottish Labour being 'deep into extra time' struck a chord. 'This time is different—time really is running out,' he said.
Differentiation from UK party failed
Johnson argued that despite rebranding, a strong leader, and picking fights with UK leadership, Scottish Labour suffered from the UK Government’s unpopularity. 'We could not differentiate ourselves from the UK party,' he said. He noted that even if outright victory was impossible, the party should have been able to add more seats to its 2021 tally.
He warned against simplistic structural answers like splitting from UK Labour, saying 'form before function runs the risk of missing the fundamental question of who our Party is for.' He called for soul-searching similar to what Keir Starmer did for UK Labour, focusing on who abandoned the party.
Need for new leadership
Johnson said it is time for new leadership in Scottish Labour, praising Anas Sarwar for making the party viable again through victories in Rutherglen, Hamilton, and the 2024 General election. However, he noted that Sarwar stepping aside allows consideration of why the party failed to retain confidence between 2024 and 2026.
'Now is not a time for egos or personalities,' Johnson said. 'It is for asking who are we, who are we for, what do we want to do and how are we going to do it.' He stressed that pointing out SNP faults is not enough; the party must demonstrate how and why it can do better.
