So, if Jim Murphy loses his seat....

[AgentProvocateur]

Can he still be SLab leader?

[prettybird]

We do indeed. They're both nice people even if one of them is misguided

[Jackieharris]

So you've got the Tory councillor who now lives with an snp MP?

[prettybird]

Never saw any activists around our way - although I delivered 3 different sets of leaflets to a number of "local" routes.

Lots of stuff through the mail from Labour (think about 4 different items). Dh got one piece of literature personally addressed from Tom Harris (our now former Labour MP) but I obviously wasn't worthy of an appeal to vote for him.

Both of us got a letter from the SNP - but then, they knew we were "Yes" voters.

Got lots of literature hand-delivered by the SNP only one of which was "delivered" by me

Despite living in a Tory ward when we had smaller wards and being on our Tory councillor's list, we only got one communication from the Tories.

As a former Labour voter (pre 1997), I think Labour is too far gone to recover in Scotland. I think it will totally have to re-create itself - probably from elements of the SNP after it begins to splinter after if we achieve independence.

Before that happens, I think Labour has made a BIG mistake trying to fight the Tories on their own grounds of a neoliberal economic orthodoxy (what is f@king "liberal" about "austerity" economics ) , as they were never going to win that battle. They should have changed it to a war on competing economic principles: there are* other economic models which deliver growth, not at the cost of the poor and vulnerable and which don't assume the fallacy of "trickle-down" economics

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Going back to the original question...

If "Scottish" labour wants to recover it needs to do a few things:

Murphy needs to go. He was a divisive leader, who didn't get the backing of the unions (?) and who ran an utterly shit, completely negative campaign that actively lost him and Labour votes. He is no longer an MP. Now he could try and become an MSP but I think candidates are already selected for that? He could replace one but I'm not sure that us going down well.

Scottish Labour needs to become a real genuine entity, not a branch office. Scotland is crying out for a left wing unionist party, and Labour seems the obvious choice. They lost badly because they are too far right for Scotland, and too far left for England. If Scottish Labour could split off they could go back to more old.Labour values, and really work for the people of Scotland, rather than trying to appeal to the majority, which in a UK party will be the SE England.

But Murphy has to go, he is utterly deluded trying to hang on.

[NiceBitOfCheese]

We had loads of election literature for weeks beforehand, mainly from LibDem (incumbent, very worried) and SNP (was always the main threat here). Some literature from Lab, less from Con, minimal from Green and UKIP. No-one canvassed, at least not when we were at home, so I can't say how the face-to-face activity compared.

[Jackieharris]

We had SNP activists at our door on polling day to see if we had voted even though we weren't on any voters lists of theirs.

In contrast I got 2 posted (paid for) letters from the longstanding labour mp.

[OOAOML]

in my area there were a lot of Labour people out. I saw no sign of the SNP out on the doors until polling day, but they were phoning. Lib Dems were invisible, Tories sent a couple of letters.

[FannyFifer]

3-4 councillors out of 20ish does not set a good example or encourage others to help.

[FannyFifer]

In our area there was the Lab party candidate,3-4 lab councillors, 3-4 local activists & friends of the candidate from England, oh & the retired ex MP who is very unwell was out a few times.
There were a couple of days where students were bussed in & a few visits frm Kez, Brown & murphy.
That was it.
No one else was out campaigning, no one on polling stations, lab have no activists locally.
Leaflets were sent through the post.
No idea if this was the same nationally but this was the case in my constituency.

[NiceBitOfCheese]

Fanny I am a Labour activist (although not JM's) there are lots. we may have had an abysmal night but don't pretend we don't exist.

Comment on R4 on Friday's PM (by a Lab MP, I think), was that despite the hoardes of Lab MPs in Scotland in previous decades, there was not a strong body of Lab party members in Scotland.

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

The only canvassers we saw at all were for Labour, two very bright engaging committed women.

NS will be happy that the Tories got in, that's exactly what she wanted.

[Jackieharris]

It always was a non job.

At least the new mp has been involved in the community for a number of years.

I'd like to see more MPs who aren't ex councillors or ex party employees.

[HirplesWithHaggis]

But does it come with expenses?

[MissDemelzaCarne]

It's a bit of a non-job at the moment!

[HirplesWithHaggis]

The "Scottish Labour Party" doesn't exist, Murphy is leader of nothing. He has no seat in WM, he has no seat in HR. He is utterly delusional.

[Pumpkinpositive]

I have no thoughts on the man himself either way but ...

How can he lead the party when he doesn't even have a mandate to be one of the rank and file??

[Cloudhowe63]

pinkje Nicola Sturgeon did not keep the Tories in. People who voted Tory kept the Tories in - ably assisted by a Labour Party which lacked credibility.

[JackSkellington]

pinkje I was thinking about the possible Tory majority, honestly I don't think it's good but on the other hand they will have a lot of opposition in Westminster.

[JackSkellington]

I didn't stay up Fanny but I was shocked (in a good way) when I woke up. Still can't believe the result, it's amazing.

[pinkje]

Well Nicola Sturgeon is leader of SNP and she hasn't got a Westminster seat.

She didn't mange to keep the Tories out did she - she helped keep them in.

Feeling very sad this morning.

[OOAOML]

Fanny I am a Labour activist (although not JM's) there are lots. we may have had an abysmal night but don't pretend we don't exist.

[FannyFifer]

Best night ever!

[Bair]

Cathy Jamieson didn't feel much of a shock at a local level. Some of her supporters were aggressive in town with a few members of the public and their only line was SNP BAD rather than policy or anything of substance.

[MintChocAddict]

Lib Dems have held onto Orkney and Shetland. SNP will be gutted.

[Eigg]

Definitely. Will be extremely interesting to see how the MSP election goes.