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The road to Holyrood 2021

The Road to Holyrood 2021 

Hello,
Below are my notes from today's  SEC meeting - get in touch if you have any questions. 

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Best wishes

Scott 

Cllr Scott Arthur (SEC members for South of Scotland and the Lothian regions) 


Meeting Notes:

1. Chair’s welcome
The Chair, Cara Hilton, welcomed Anas Sarwar MSP to the SEC as Scottish Labour’s leader. Cara also noted the two recent by-election wins.
 
An emergency motion was tabled seeking to overturn a decision of an SEC Panel. As this panel was properly constituted and operated within the rules of the party, this motion was ruled as invalid.
 
 
2. Leader’s Report  
Anas Sarwar started by saying he was delighted to be back on the SEC, and thanked the SEC members and the party staff for their hard work.
 
He also thanked Monica Lennon for her positive campaign, and Jackie Bailie for her excellent work as interim leader.
 
Anas urged the party to work together to form a coherent opposition. He said it was our duty to do so.
 
He wants the structural inequalities in Scotland to be “front and centre” of the election campaign. He feels that the party’s clear position on the constitution means that it can now be heard on other issues. The next 8 weeks will be a huge challenge for Scottish Labour, and Anas Sarwar says he’s up for it.
 
3. Political report - Scottish Parliament 
The Salmond inquiry remains a significant focus. The budget has also been given significant attention, with the SNP refusing to accept the GMB/Labour call for care workers to be paid fairly. There is significant concern that the SNP is blocking debate on the OECD’s report on Scottish Education. Due to the pandemic, the parliament will not be dissolved in advance of the election but will go into recess on the 25th of March.
 
4. Political report - UK Parliament 
The NHS pay rise in England is a significant focus, and will be part of the Local Government elections there.
 
There is political and media attention being given to how the Tories have been awarding contracts to “cronies”. The public, however, appear less concerned about the issue.
 
5. Political report – Local Government 
The Scottish Government's budget has been a significant focus. The process has highlighted the disregard the SNP have for Local Government across Scotland.
 
There is real concern within COSLA with regard to the safety of running elections in May.
 
There was real concern from Trade Union representatives on the SEC about the pay settlement Local Government staff will be offered – the threat of industrial action appears very real.
 
6. Women’s Committee Report
Zoom calls are being used constructively for women members to network. An online rally for female candidates is being considered.
 
7. Glasgow Kelvin Candidacy
The interview the former Glasgow Kelvin Candidate gave to The National was not helpful, but the party tried to agree a position with her. As a position could not be agreed, the issue was referred to an SEC Panel who removed her as a candidate when no progress could be made.   The SEC today endorsed the process which was used to remove the Candidate without the need for a vote. A new candidate is now in place. 
 
This situation highlighted a need for a code of conduct for SEC members (some have been publicly critical of the Panel’s decision, and this may have fuelled attacks on its members), and to do more to ensure party staff are not subjected to abuse from party members.
 
8. General Secretary’s Report 
Regular "Campaign Calls" with candidates have now began. Drew Smith thanked candidates, particularly given the number of elections recently.
 
Scottish Parliament Selections – The only vacancy is now the Shetland Islands constituency, and this should be settled this weekend.
 
Staffing update – Appointments have been made to improve our ability to campaign digitally.  
 
SEC sub-committees – A Local Government Committee will be reformed to prepare for the 2022 election campaign. I urged the SEC to ensure we have candidates in place ASAP.  
 
9. Scottish Parliamentary Election Campaign 
Ian Murray MP is co-chairing the campaign with Neil Bibby MSP. Ian acknowledged that the staff resources available to support the campaign are limited. The stated aim is to become the official opposition, and prevent the SNP from forming a majority. With our position on independence settled, the campaign will be built around economic and social recovery after Covid. We need to hold our constituency seats, and close the gaps in others. The list seats, however, are is where we could make gains. We will target soft SNP/Tory voters along with other key demographics.
 
10. Proposed date of next meeting
Saturday 15 May
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