It was just six months ago that the Scottish Labour Party was hailing its success at the general election. Not only was the party back in government for the first time in 14 years, but it had won a massive 37 seats in Scotland.
Today, the shine around that victory has well and truly faded and, as the party prepares to hold its annual spring conference, the mood is more of worry than celebration.
Leader Anas Sarwar knows the polls are moving in the wrong direction. With just 14 months until the next Scottish Parliament election, hope within the party is starting to fade.
As we edge closer to next May, Sarwar has become the underdog, with less and less to lose.
It could be freeing for the party. There is an opportunity to be bold. People across Scotland are crying out for change, and a political party with the right vision and passion should be able to appeal to the wider electorate.
But here also lies the pitfall. As someone who has spent much of the past decade at the forefront of Scottish politics one of my biggest frustrations is the inability of politicians to learn from their own mistakes, and those of others.
Over the last few days, we have seen an attempt from Scottish Labour to seize the moment and be bold.
In a flurry of announcements, we have learned that if they win the Holyrood election they will make it easier for patients to get GP appointments, scrap peak rail fares on ScotRail and cut income tax for middle-earners.
It all sounds great. But dig into the detail and ask too many questions, and the plan doesn’t appear to be all there yet.
One of the biggest lessons Sarwar should have learned from Keir Starmer is not to overpromise.
Much has been written about the communications failures of the Labour government, and its inability to deliver on promises that were made during the election campaign and earlier.
Research conducted last year shows that voters across the UK “almost never” trust politicians. The importance of delivering on promises has always been important, but as voters continue to feel the bite of the cost-of-living crisis and struggle to see any real improvements in their financial situations – now is the time for politicians to not just pledge change but deliver it too.
Sarwar is trying. He is promising change people want to see. But the real problem is that thanks to the stuttering start from the UK government, the promises are not believable.
As we move towards the Holyrood election next year, Sarwar must start putting flesh on the bones of his plans. A simple promise is no longer enough. A sophisticated electorate knows change will take more than this, and Scottish Labour must be prepared to set out just how it will afford and carry out those big changes it wants to make.