In Corbyn’s fight for power, Scottish Labour is disposable

Once upon a time, the Labour party believed the road to Downing Street ran through Scotland. This was, it is true, a long, long, time ago. By which I mean it was what the Labour party’s leadership believed in the summer of 2017. A different time; a simpler time. 

Then Labour people were fond of claiming that 18 of Labour’s top sixty or so target seats were north of the border. Win them and Labour would be back in business and back in office. You don’t hear very much of that sort of thing anymore. 

And with good reason for the Labour party in Scotland is a husk of what it used to be. It lost its empire years ago and has still not found a role. It occupies the position previously taken by the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party: an object of occasional, pitying, fascination, not a serious political project. 

Granted, Labour did enjoy a bounce in 2017.