Theme: Parties & Elections | Content Type: Journal article

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The Road to Victory Runs Through Scotland? Prospects for Labour in the Post-Sturgeon Era

Coree Brown Swan

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Carly Reeves

| 1 min read

Scottish Labour, once viewed as the most divided party in the UK, appears buoyant, the result of the growing popularity of its leader, Anas Sarwar, a more positive relationship with UK Labour, and most notably, significant gains in the polls. The party has sought to find a centre ground in a political system defined by opposing visions of Scotland's political future, a strategy which has previously left it squeezed between more assertive nationalist and unionist rivals. However, with little prospect of another independence referendum in the near term, this centre ground may yet prove fruitful. The party has an opportunity to position itself as a viable alternative in a dramatically changed political landscape. While Labour's optimism is not unfounded, its polling perhaps speaks more to the weaknesses of its political rivals than the strength of the party itself; and questions persist about Scottish Labour's political vision and constitutional offering in a political system which remains bifurcated.

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  • Coree Brown Swan

    Coree Brown Swan

    Coree Brown Swan is a Lecturer, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen's University Belfast.

    Articles by Coree Brown Swan
Volume 96, Issue 1

Latest Journal Issue

Volume 96, Issue 1

This issue features a collection titled 'The 2024 UK General Election' edited by Ben Jackson, Colm Murphy and Peter Sloman, in which authors including Ross Mckibbin; Will Jennings,  Gerry Stoker, Paula Surridge, Maria Sobolewska, Mathew Lawrence and many more discuss the sources of Labour’s victory and consider how the result will shape the future of British politics. Other articles include a commentary by Deborah Mabbett on Trump's proposal to buy Greenland; 'Centralised by Design: Anglocentric Constitutionalism, Accountability and the Failure of English Devolution' by John Denham and Janice Morphet; 'Broke and Broken: The Crises Facing Local Government in England' by David Jeffery; and 'Biographies of Discontent: The Challenges Facing Labour' by Helen Goodman. A selection of book reviews feature Morgan Jones' thoughts on 'Against Landlords: How to Solve the Housing Crisis' by Nick Bano, and Lyndsey Jenkins' review of 'Orwell's Ghosts: Wisdom and Warnings for the Twenty-First Century' by Laura Beers.

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