Shock Development: Scottish Labour Grows Up, Repudiates Own Past – Spectator Blogs

Whisper it sceptically but something interesting may have happened in Scotland yesterday. It might even turn out to be an important something too. Even more remarkably, this was all because of a speech given by Johann Lamont, leader of Labour’s bedraggled Scottish troops.

I know, it all sounds too astonishing to be true. Be that as it may, Lamont’s speech in which she argued it’s time for Scotland to cease living on “the never never” and admit there will, probably, soon be a choice between raising taxes and cutting services was a rare move towards reality.

Lamont’s address was the kind of thing sarcastic types are supposed to call “brave” or “bold”. That is, mad. Actually, it was quite brave not least because Lamont must have known that Tories would probably praise what she had to say. The risk of contaminating contact with Scotland’s still-leprous tribe was high. Yet she went ahead anyway.