DESPITE the SNP winning most seats in Scotland, it was a disappointing night for supporters with big names losing their seats.

Smaller factors include: that the SNP always performs worse in UK elections; that Labour and the Tories take most media airtime due to their UK-wide appeal; the SNP has been the largest party in Scotland for 10 years now which makes it difficult to retain support; we couldn’t repeat the perfect storm of 2015; and that the party machinery has been running on fumes for a while now.

However, the biggest factor has been that the SNP isn’t doing enough. We aren’t doing enough on our message. On policy. On organisation.

Activists may be tired, but it’s the party’s job to inspire them to get out and campaign. This campaign has been lacking in narrative, making it difficult to inspire activists and voters alike.

The Tories’ key message was: strong and stable leadership for Brexit. Labour: for the many not the few with a radical manifesto. The SNP: stronger for Scotland. What that means is Scotref, membership of the EU and social democracy. Not only do these cut along three separate lines of class politics, independence and EU membership, limiting electoral appeal, it doesn’t help that our narrative wasn’t particularly clear or inspiring.

There were many policies included in the Labour manifesto that were either already Scottish Government policy or in the SNP manifesto, eg free tuition and a living wage. These weren’t communicated properly. Literature was unfocussed, vague and empty while Labour put it to the forefront.

But there were also policies that weren’t in the SNP manifesto like nationalising energy provisions and workers’ right to own. More radical policies swayed some to opt for Labour. This saw Labour gain seats in their ex-Central-Belt-heartlands and brought them extremely close to taking those they didn’t.

The election has pointed to a realignment for the SNP heartlands from the North East to the Central Belt. The SNP has become Scotland’s party of social justice which appeals more to urbanised areas than rural ones. The Tories’ victories in wealthier rural areas is a continuation of their hardline Unionism and right-wing politics.

The SNP can never repeat 2015. We can’t pretend that we can continue to be all things to all people in hope of taking so many seats. In doing so, we sell out our vision for an independent Scotland in favour of a centre-left stance in an increasingly polarised political landscape.

Angus Robertson’s claim during the Depute Leader contest that we have to appeal to rural views has not worked. We need a manifesto that is going to represent members and not pander for votes in areas now unwinnable.

It wasn’t so much Corbyn that benefited Labour, it was the ideals he represented – just like independence. As a party, we need to focus again on what our purpose is. Why we joined the party. And for decades, it has been rooted in radical social change and bold actions.

Scotref has to be on the backburner for now. As does the party’s romance with the EU which is damaging support. Any canvasser can tell you that voters are being deterred.

We have the unusual luxury of having time to rest and for introspection. Members must have a bigger say on decisions and policy and we have to see radical action from the Scottish Government with the powers we have while making a core part of our Westminster campaign to bring greater powers to Scotland.

This has been the wake-up call the party has needed and what many have been calling for for years. Will we hit snooze or wake up and smell the socialism?
Rory Steel
SNP Socialists Convener and SNP Youth Vice Convener

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Do some of us secretly wish for the yoke of UK austerity?

THERE are many theories being bandied about as to the cause of the SNP losing seats.

In Michael Fry’s bewildering article he blames the demise on “taking right-wing constituencies for granted” and would have us believe that a rightward shift in policy would solve the problem (SNP took right-wing constituencies for granted and paid the highest price, The National, June 13). A bit more Brian Souter is what’s needed seems to be his conclusion.

He ignores the fact that whilst more seats were lost to the Tories – more votes were lost to Labour (Ashcroft Poll). And there was good reason for this. Corbyn produced a manifesto which fitted with the Yes campaign vision of a more equal society. An outright attack on austerity and the return of the stolen utilities to public ownership. Fry, in keeping with the UK MSM, refers to that manifesto as a “programme of fantasies”. We must get “more buck for our bang” and even the poor would get a little more he condescendingly tells us. Absolutely sickening right-wing garbage that was, and remains, anathema to the majority of the 45 per cent who brought us so close to victory in 2014.

Keep these columnists a million miles away from working class voters in Scotland and we can still reach our goal. Give them influence and we will forever live under the yoke of UK austerity which, I suspect, the likes of Fry may secretly be aiming for.
Derek Durkin
Port Seton, East Lothian

MICHAEL Fry’s article is, as usual, riddled with right-wing nonsense and nonsense in general.

For example he says “the Corbyn swing – which because in Scotland we are badly served by the pollsters, went unnoticed till the last minute”.

No “pollsters” predicted a Corbyn win, let alone in Scotland. Perhaps our Scottish pollsters are just too stupid? The claim that “the private sector of the economy (from which all other blessings flow)” is classic neo-liberal mantra.

The private sector would collapse without the infrastructure and a healthy educated workforce supplied by the public sector. Read The Entrepreneurial State by Mariana Mazzucato for much more detail on this.

The casual comment about the Labour party manifesto having “some attempt at costings” is frankly risible compared to the Conservative completely un-costed version.

There is much more, but his final comment concerning the basis for the success of Angela Merkel: “The balanced budget that leaves the all the necessary room for economic growth” betrays a mistaken understanding of macro-economics consistent with the neo-liberal mindset.

The “balanced budget” in Germany is only possible due to the peculiar conditions of the euro and Germany’s large trade surplus that is matched by other countries trade deficit.

In the UK (you can’t speak of Scotland in this context until we getindependence) we have had a trade deficit since 2000. Under these conditions, a government deficit is absolutely necessary for economic growth in the long-term.

A government surplus means that it would be taxing more than it spends, therefore sucking money out of the economy.

A government deficit conversely means that it it injecting money into the economy.

The private sector can only create money via bank debt, which has to be paid back and is unsustainable for the population if it grows indefinitely. Government “debt” never has to be “paid back” but that’s too big a subject for here.
Brian Stobie
Address supplied

WE will not get opinion polls moving for Yes until we announce another referendum and start campaigning for Yes. Our opponents want a referendum taken off the table. Some sloppy thinkers on our side think we should oblige them.

When we got 125,000 members with 56 seats we should have started a huge independence campaign. We came from nowhere and then took our foot off the pedal. As recent Unionist spin has proved we will never get any credit for running Scotland.

We are getting bogged down in diversions. We need a huge Yes launch right now.
Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll