“Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to return Scottish Labour to power”. Well Kezia Dugdale did accept what has been called Mission Impossible, following her easy victory over Ken McIntosh.
Dugdale is Scottish Labour’s eighth leader since devolution dawned in 1999 and the fifth since Labour last tasted power north of the border. Some failing football clubs have had a less of a managerial merry go round.
The challenge of returning Labour to power is daunting. All but wiped out at this year’s general election the party faces the prospect of its current 37 MSP’s being reduced to around 20 at next year’s Scottish elections.
And despite growing dissatisfaction with the SNP’s performance in government - most notably in education and justice - their opinion poll ratings show no sign of taking a downward turn.
Dugdale offers a sharp contrast with her predecessor Jim Murphy. She is relatively inexperienced but has the advantage of not being weighed down by ideological baggage; her performances in opposing Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s questions have been impressive and she has had success in a number of campaigns, notably her opposition to Pay Day Loans.
Of course the Scottish Labour leadership campaign has been overshadowed by “Corbymania”. The once rank outsider spoke to four overflow meetings in Scotland’s major cities last week attracting a combination of youngsters alongside largely older bearded men reliving their experience of Bennism and Militant infiltration in the 1980’s.
There are two views as to how a Corbyn victory will affect Scottish Labour’s chances of recovery. The optimistic view is that the SNP would be outflanked on the left and former Labour voters would return to the fold.
The other, and more likely scenario, is that Corbyn will not be seen as a PM in waiting and Scots will see that there is no possibility of Labour being returned to power at UK level in 2020. Accordingly they will continue to back the SNP to ensure a “strong Scottish voice” at Westminster.
And who knows who will be Scottish Labour leader by then!