Scots fighting on two fronts

Text of a speech to Scottish Labour Special Conference, 29 October 2011, from Margaret Curran, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Labour MP for Glasgow East. Check against delivery.

We meet conference, in challenging times. Challenging times for Scotland.
And of course challenging times for our party. Today, Scotland is at a cross-roads and we have much to consider

First, I would like to take the opportunity today to put on record our thanks to Iain Gray who has served our party with great commitment and dedication. Iain has shown great dignity and determination in the months since the election. It is the truest test of character to lead in turbulent times. Iain, we owe you our thanks and gratitude.


It is a considerable honour to follow Ann Mckechin as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. Ann has worked tirelessly for the Scottish Labour team, and her work on the Scotland Bill has rightfully gained wide praise and respect. Ann and I will continue to work together to pursue Labour’s agenda.

This year I and we lost a true friend of the Labour movement. David Cairns.
David will be missed beyond measure as an MP, as a friend and a colleague and today we offer our deepest sympathies to his partner Dermot and all his family.
We will honour David and his memory as we push forward for Scotland and fight for the issues that matter.

Conference, as a party we must accept some difficult truths. We failed to convince Scotland that we had a vision for the future with Labour. We were taught a lesson by the people of Scotland and it is one that still hurts. But It is a lesson we have heard and understood.

Sarah Boyack and Jim Murphy have put together a package of measures which will allow us to set out on a new direction in Scotland. But the time for self reflection and introspection is over.

Today at this conference we again place ourselves squarely on frontline of Scottish public debate. Recently I spoke in my constituency at the prize giving for students at St Andrews School in the East End of Glasgow.

It was a night which celebrated the achievements of the next generation of Scots, a night for proud families and pupils, but also for our hard working teachers.

But it was also the day when the figures for youth unemployment in this country were released showing the worst set of statistics for the last 20 years.

Conference, we are in a jobs crisis across Scotland, with 80,000 young people out of work. 1 in 4 young men cannot find a job.

People in Scotland are having to fight on two fronts: against the brutal cuts and economic storms caused by the Tory-Lib Dem government in Westminster; and against the cuts, and false choices offered at Holyrood.

The Tories cutting too far too fast, and the SNP savaging housing budgets

The Tories cutting taxes on bankers, and the SNP cutting college courses

Tories increasing VAT hitting economic growth, and SNP with construction industry on its  knees

And while the energy companies are making it harder and harder to stay warm this winter, Tories are cutting the winter fuel payment and the SNP are cutting the cash for those who face fuel poverty.

In Scotland we are faced with two governments, not listening and not caring. Congratulating themselves rather than delivering for the people. John Swinney and George Osborne need to wake up to the fact that if unemployment’s rocketing while growth is dead on arrival, you don’t have a credible economic policy.

Scotland needs another way. Scotland needs an alternative

Conference. We have a fight on our hands and we are ready to take it on.
We need to reintroduce Scottish Labour to the Scottish people as  a vibrant, energetic and hungry party, as the party of equality and social justice; as the champions of economic growth; and as Scotland’s advocates, whatever parliament, council or high street we’re in.

But let me make an appeal – to remember our shared and deep commitment to Labour values.
 
We have weathered storms before and re-organised and fought back, not because we have a god given right because we mostly certainly don’t. But because our people – all our people – and our country need us to.

The fight against inequality is more that a noble cause it is catalyst for social and economic change. Our core belief is that by the strength of our common endeavour we can achieve more than we can alone – as people, and as countries in the United Kingdom.

It was that common endeavour which achieved devolution.

And it was Scottish Labour who made sure it worked, while others insisted it would not.

Conference, the Scottish Parliament does work. It massively improved the housing people live in. It banned smoking in public places and improved people’s health. It built and improved hundreds of schools that benefit our children.

And it gave Scotland the best outcome possible: a strong, individual identity and power in areas where Scotland is different to England; and the benefits of working together when the interests of the UK are as one.
Never let anyone tell you the Scottish Parliament doesn’t work. But in politics you cannot rest on your laurels.

Labour wants our parliament to grow and be strong.

As we re-assert our love of Scotland – our deep pride in our country - its past, its promise, its people, we do so in the true and certain knowledge that passion and commitment to Scotland does not belong to one political party but rests with the people of Scotland.

Yet in an astonishing act of partisan politics, the referendum we are told, may not be subject to the most minimalist requirement of fairness in any election, and may not have proper governance of the electoral commission.

We must fight to ensure the referendum is conducted with clarity and with transparency, because that it is what Scotland deserves.

The referendum process doesn’t belong to one party, one leader or one government. The choice lies with the Scottish people.
 
We need a debate worthy of Scotland – that speaks to the Scottish character.

A debate of depth and detail. Reason and argument. A debate about the possibilities of Scotland from mobilising our energy resources to expanding our manufacturing base.

And in that referendum we will campaign, as we will always do, on the side of Scotland, on the side of social justice.

Because social justice and compassion do not end at the border.

Because we can see the same challenges for young people finding work in Manchester as we do in Dundee. They are faced with no jobs, high living costs and it’s almost impossible to get on the housing ladder.

Pensioners – from London to Edinburgh – are worrying right now about how they are going to heat their homes this winter. Children are living in poverty in Britain today – in Glasgow, and in Liverpool.

The solution to those problems is not to separate Manchester and Dundee; London and Edinburgh; Glasgow and Liverpool.

But we are Labour because we believe the solutions to these problems are to create jobs for young people, tackle the racket in energy prices, and fight against child poverty. In Scotland. In the UK.

Conference, the fight for the future of Scotland is upon us. We have to show that in that battle, we are on the side of the Scottish people.

The challenge is set for us and the moment upon us. This afternoon you will hear from our 3 candidates, as they set out their vision for Scotland.
I know Ken Macintosh, Tom Harris and Johann Lamont will each have their own vision for taking Scotland forward. When John Smith led the Labour Party he described devolution as “unfinished business”.

In 1997 Scotland voted for our Parliament, a Parliament steeped in hope and crafted by optimism. A moment destined to define the future of Scotland.

And today, what started as a post script will end with a new chapter. As we put the past behind us and look forward to the future.

This is the moment for Labour to fight for a new vision for Scotland.