by Vince Mills
THE Labour leadership contest in Scotland moved into its final phase with the close of supporting nominations on Wednesday (August 13). All that is now left before the unveiling of the new leader on September 13 are the hustings meetings and the balloting process itself.
One of the likely consequences of the contest is a deepening difference in policy positions between the Labour Party in England and the Labour Party in Scotland, in response to pressure from the SNP.
For example, all three candidates for the leadership – Iain Gray, Cathy Jamieson and Andy Kerr – have abandoned the council tax as the best way of raising local government revenue in Scotland.
All three now back a property-based replacement – a significant shift of position since the party tabled its submission to the Burt review into local government finance in 2005. Then Labour backed the council tax with more bands at the top and bottom to counter arguments that it did not fairly reflect the spread of wealth.
No clear favourite for the leadership has emerged, although supporters of Iain Gray are making much of his success in winning a supporting nomination from Unite, Scotland’s biggest trade union, which under the leadership of Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson is considered to be on the left.
This is all the more surprising since Mr Gray formally moved the ditching of the old Clause IV at the Scottish Labour Party conference in 1994.
However, given that the ballot among trade unionists will be on the basis of one member, one vote, the contest might also offer an insight into how close union leaderships are to the political preferences of their members.
