Unions join call for Jim Murphy to quit leadership

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/t ... -1-3771082" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

JIM Murphy is facing growing pressure to quit as Scottish Labour leader after one of the party’s main trade union affiliates said it would be “unprecedented” for him to remain in post following last week’s disastrous election result.

Public sector union Unison confirmed yesterday it would back moves to oust Mr Murphy if, as expected, he faces a vote of no confidence this week, as a second MSP quit Scottish Labour leader’s frontbench team at 
Holyrood.

Alex Rowley, a key ally of former prime minister Gordon Brown, stepped down as Labour’s local government spokesman at Holyrood and said that Mr Murphy’s refusal to resign was a “mistake” that would harm the party’s chances at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Mr Murphy has also been urged to quit by unions Unite and Aslef, while former Labour MP Katy Clark, who lost her seat in the SNP surge, has called on him to consider his position.

Mr Rowley said Mr Murphy’s continued presence as Scottish Labour leader was an “unhelpful distraction” after the loss of his Westminster seat in the rout by the SNP, meaning he is no longer an elected parliamentarian.

He said the party would not become “strong” and “relevant” under Mr Murphy’s leadership after Labour lost 40 of its 41 seats in Scotland last week.

Mr Rowley, in a letter to Mr Murphy, said the party now needed a “fundamental change in direction and strategy” and told him that he would not “sign up to your leadership as one of your shadow team”.

The intervention from Mr Rowley, who served as an election agent for Mr Brown, puts more pressure on Mr Murphy, who is expected to face a vote of no confidence at a meeting of the party’s ruling body on Saturday. Mr Rowley called on Mr Murphy to quit at a meeting of Labour MSPs earlier this week.

In the letter, he said: “I said yesterday at the meeting of Labour MSPs that I thought your speech on Friday stating that you would stay on and lead Labour into the 2016 election was a mistake, and that it would also be a mistake for the team you put in place, including your chief of staff, to remain in post.

“I sincerely hold the view that you continuing as leader whilst not in the Scottish Parliament, and not in an elected position holding a democratic mandate, means you will become an unhelpful distraction from the real issues that Scottish Labour must focus on.”

Mr Rowley’s resignation came after Neil Findlay – who stood against Mr Murphy for the post of Scottish leader – quit his post as fair work, skills and training spokesman on Saturday.

Mr Findlay said the general election has been a “disaster” for Scottish Labour, which he said should now become independent from the party at UK level.

Meanwhile, Unison said it would not actively pursue a vote of no confidence in Mr Murphy, but would not oppose such a move on Saturday.

The union’s statement said: “The scale of Scottish Labour’s defeat in the general election last Thursday indicates the need for a radical change in approach. The problems of Scottish Labour long pre-date this election and the current leadership.

“It is unprecedented for a party leader not to stand down after such a defeat, particularly when he loses his own seat.

“We do not believe it is Unison’s place to initiate a change in leadership. However, if there is a wider movement proposing change, Unison Labour would not oppose it.”

Labour MSP Elaine Smith, who is Holyrood’s deputy presiding officer, also called for Mr Murphy to step down.

She said: “I am applauding Neil [Findlay] and Alex [Rowley] for saying they will play a full part in the debate Scottish Labour needs to have. They are putting loyalty to the Labour Party ahead of personal career or position and I think Jim Murphy should do likewise and step down as leader.”

Former Labour MP Ms Clark called on Mr Murphy to consider his position and said the party must build a “broad socialist movement” to take on the Conservative government.

Ms Clark, who represented North Ayrshire and Arran until last week, urged Labour to “turn its back” on former leader Tony Blair and New Labour in a speech to the annual conference of the train drivers’ union Aslef.

Asked by a delegate about Aslef’s call on Mr Murphy to stand down, she said he should “consider his position”.

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “The only way to rebuild Scottish Labour and regain the trust of the people of Scotland is for everybody in our movement to work together. As the old trade union saying goes, unity is strength.”

And Mr Murphy is expected to face another call to quit as Scottish Labour leader with a postal workers’ union leader saying he should step down after the party’s disastrous election defeat.

John Brown, regional secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) Scotland, said the union was likely to follow others such as Unite and Unison in calling for Mr Murphy to resign.

Mr Murphy is expected to face a vote of no confidence at Scottish Labour’s ruling body on Saturday, after the party lost 40 of its 41 seats north of the border.

Mr Brown said that the CWU had yet to agree a formal position, but stated that it was likely to call for the resignation of Mr Murphy, who lost his East Renfrewshire seat in last week’s election.

He said: “On a personal basis I think he should go.

“We’re having a conference call of our representatives to decide on a position, but on the soundings from our representatives the view seems to be that Jim should do the right thing and step down.

“I strongly suspect that the CWU position will be in line with that of Unison and Unite.”

Meanwhile, former First Minister Henry McLeish said he was “neutral” on the issue of whether Mr Murphy should quite, but said the party had “learnt nothing” from its defeats in Scotland and had to embrace urgent reform.

[hans solo]

COME COME cwu did you not recomend that all scottish members support jim murphy in the referendum vote
giruy better together now BACKSTABBERS.

[fishtank]

Laughable really, the union did exactly the same as Labour did when it came to recommending how members voted in the referendum, rather than listening to the members in Scotland they basically allowed the position from London to dictate policy.

The end result for Labour is there for all to see, the union's position in Scotland has also been badly damaged. Perhaps both groups could get together and compare notes...where did we go wrong?

[NWpostie]

The Union block vote got Ed Millband in as leader and look at what has happened. it should have been David Milliband.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The Union block vote got Ed Millband in as leader and look at what has happened. it should have been David Milliband.

The saving grace is that the CWU didn't back Milliband. The losing grace is that they backed Ed Balls. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 32216.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And just one factual correction - this wasn't a block vote it was a recommendation. Block voting went out under John Smith over 20 years ago now. http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20 ... block-vote" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also if you read the article if the MPs vote had counted the same as an ordinary member then Ed would have won by an even higher margin.

[NWpostie]

Some of the Labour MPs were funded and sponsored by some of the Unions, still a bad choice of leader at the end of the day, it was clear from the start that the election was lost because of it, by failing to appeal to the middle class and espousing near Marxist policies of the 70s, turning it into a class war, mansion taxes which is wrong as many people have brought houses in the 80s and the values of them have soared especially in London where they would end up paying mansion taxes on a Terraced house that would have been humble starter homes in in 1980, not everybody who lives in London is a stock broker and foreign residents, there are ordinary people who keep the basic services going, without which London wouldn't run.

Most ordinary people like myself are aspirational, its human nature, we all want a house with a driveway, mortgage paid off, foreign holidays, if we could afford it we would send our children to private Schools, thinking like that doesn't make you a Tory.

Karl Marx, Karl Liebneckht, Rose Luxemburgh are theoretical Communists and international socialists, grand and noble ideas but their Political theories have little application in the real world. what you really need is Pragmatic Socialism.
I am of the opinion that Mary Creag demonstrates some of this in her leadership bid, her recognition of the failure of the Labour party electoral campaign, the loss of middle class trust, economic failure, poor policy decisions and she has a fairly good Government experience and a reasonably good record.

You need to deconstruct, admit mistakes and rebuild, the world has changed since the days of Keir Hardie but it does not make Labour's core values less valid, people have changed, society has changed, Labour need to change to meet the aspirations of the people of Britain and act as a buffer to extreme right wing polices, most British people are small c Conservative with a dashing of social justice. failure to recognise that invites political oblivion, which happened under Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock.

[speckledtangerine]

Scottish politics needs a strong Jim Murphy!

[speckledtangerine]

He's finally resigned.

Goodnight sweet prince.

[NWpostie]

I don't see how Jim Murphy could be blamed on the Tories getting in, he doesn't influence the National Executive, he just happened to be a member of Scottish Labour, that's where it stops, he did campaign in some of the most toxic environment aggressively heckled by Pre Independence activists, Milliband never had to face what Jim Murphy did. the election wasn't a verdict on Jim Murphy, it was a verdict on Ed Millband, he was just the fall guy, I have some sympathy for him, hopefully he will find life a lot more peaceful life now he has left the position and can concentrate on his family and work.

[cyrus]

I don't see how Jim Murphy could be blamed on the Tories getting in, he doesn't influence the National Executive, he just happened to be a member of Scottish Labour, that's where it stops, he did campaign in some of the most toxic environment aggressively heckled by Pre Independence activists, Milliband never had to face what Jim Murphy did. the election wasn't a verdict on Jim Murphy, it was a verdict on Ed Millband, he was just the fall guy, I have some sympathy for him, hopefully he will find life a lot more peaceful life now he has left the position and can concentrate on his family and work.

You mean: Jim Murphy,That wanted to tax English mansions to pay for Scottish nurses.(that might piss the English off) member of the neo con "Henry Jackson Society"....Claiming over a million in expenses while professing to be a man of the people.....Supported the Iraq war....Spent 9 years at uni but never graduated......By the way, Jim Murphy was lucky to be heckled by more than 10 people in the streets...it was all staged manged for the TV news..The electorate saw through this chancer, and booted him out. He was way more toxic than Milliband.The best recruiting agent for the SNP.I'm sad to see him go.

[NWpostie]

I don't see how Jim Murphy could be blamed on the Tories getting in, he doesn't influence the National Executive, he just happened to be a member of Scottish Labour, that's where it stops, he did campaign in some of the most toxic environment aggressively heckled by Pre Independence activists, Milliband never had to face what Jim Murphy did. the election wasn't a verdict on Jim Murphy, it was a verdict on Ed Millband, he was just the fall guy, I have some sympathy for him, hopefully he will find life a lot more peaceful life now he has left the position and can concentrate on his family and work.

You mean: Jim Murphy,That wanted to tax English mansions to pay for Scottish nurses.(that might piss the English off) member of the neo con "Henry Jackson Society"....Claiming over a million in expenses while professing to be a man of the people.....Supported the Iraq war....Spent 9 years at uni but never graduated......By the way, Jim Murphy was lucky to be heckled by more than 10 people in the streets...it was all staged manged for the TV news..The electorate saw through this chancer, and booted him out. He was way more toxic than Milliband.The best recruiting agent for the SNP.I'm sad to see him go.

Have you got any links and sources to support what have just said ?

[cyrus]

I don't see how Jim Murphy could be blamed on the Tories getting in, he doesn't influence the National Executive, he just happened to be a member of Scottish Labour, that's where it stops, he did campaign in some of the most toxic environment aggressively heckled by Pre Independence activists, Milliband never had to face what Jim Murphy did. the election wasn't a verdict on Jim Murphy, it was a verdict on Ed Millband, he was just the fall guy, I have some sympathy for him, hopefully he will find life a lot more peaceful life now he has left the position and can concentrate on his family and work.

You mean: Jim Murphy,That wanted to tax English mansions to pay for Scottish nurses.(that might piss the English off) member of the neo con "Henry Jackson Society"....Claiming over a million in expenses while professing to be a man of the people.....Supported the Iraq war....Spent 9 years at uni but never graduated......By the way, Jim Murphy was lucky to be heckled by more than 10 people in the streets...it was all staged manged for the TV news..The electorate saw through this chancer, and booted him out. He was way more toxic than Milliband.The best recruiting agent for the SNP.I'm sad to see him go.

Have you got any links and sources to support what have just said ?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ansion-tax" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://thepeopledemand.org/?p=598" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://derekbateman.co.uk/2015/05/04/sh ... nd-listen/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-safety-of-the-town/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[speckledtangerine]

I don't see how Jim Murphy could be blamed on the Tories getting in, he doesn't influence the National Executive, he just happened to be a member of Scottish Labour, that's where it stops, he did campaign in some of the most toxic environment aggressively heckled by Pre Independence activists, Milliband never had to face what Jim Murphy did. the election wasn't a verdict on Jim Murphy, it was a verdict on Ed Millband, he was just the fall guy, I have some sympathy for him, hopefully he will find life a lot more peaceful life now he has left the position and can concentrate on his family and work.

You mean: Jim Murphy,That wanted to tax English mansions to pay for Scottish nurses.(that might piss the English off) member of the neo con "Henry Jackson Society"....Claiming over a million in expenses while professing to be a man of the people.....Supported the Iraq war....Spent 9 years at uni but never graduated......By the way, Jim Murphy was lucky to be heckled by more than 10 people in the streets...it was all staged manged for the TV news..The electorate saw through this chancer, and booted him out. He was way more toxic than Milliband.The best recruiting agent for the SNP.I'm sad to see him go.

Have you got any links and sources to support what have just said ?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ansion-tax" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://thepeopledemand.org/?p=598" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://derekbateman.co.uk/2015/05/04/sh ... nd-listen/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-safety-of-the-town/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now, that is what you call telt!

If I can also stick the boot into Jim and his faux 'man of the people' persona with his cheerleading for an end to grants and replacement fully with loans and the introduction of tuition fees.

Cheerio Smurf.

[NWpostie]

Read the links, I suppose some of it is subjective, some of the linkys I don't know about, only the Guardian is familiar to me. I still think the loss of the election still hinges on Milliband who is out of touch and is not exactly a man of the people, Labour need to rethink, tax the rich, class war tactics went out in the 70s, tax and spend, eventually you're going to run out of money and drive wealth creators out of the country, we've been there before in the 70s and the 3 day week, bin bags piled up in Trafalgar square, I remembered it well.

Talking explicitly about taxing London to pay for 1000 Scottish nurses would only serve to put English voters backs up, like I said before most houses were brought by ordinary people in the 80/90s before house prices soared to stratospheric levels, these people are "asset rich cash poor", they are not exactly mansions they are terraced houses, a completely ill thought out policy statement.

Re the linkys of course every side will attempt to manipulate the media for their own advantage, which is why I say the linkys are subjective and shouldn't be taken a gospel, I am only familiar with the Gaurdian, the rest could be any man and his dog playing keyboard warrior, anyone can set up his "Hyde park corner website" and voice his opinion on the world, since it is not a known source to me I couldn't take it as verifiable truth therefore must take it with a pinch of salt.

[cyrus]

Read the links, I suppose some of it is subjective, some of the linkys I don't know about, only the Guardian is familiar to me. I still think the loss of the election still hinges on Milliband who is out of touch and is not exactly a man of the people, Labour need to rethink, tax the rich, class war tactics went out in the 70s, tax and spend, eventually you're going to run out of money and drive wealth creators out of the country, we've been there before in the 70s and the 3 day week, bin bags piled up in Trafalgar square, I remembered it well.

Talking explicitly about taxing London to pay for 1000 Scottish nurses would only serve to put English voters backs up, like I said before most houses were brought by ordinary people in the 80/90s before house prices soared to stratospheric levels, these people are "asset rich cash poor", they are not exactly mansions they are terraced houses, a completely ill thought out policy statement.

Re the linkys of course every side will attempt to manipulate the media for their own advantage, which is why I say the linkys are subjective and shouldn't be taken a gospel, I am only familiar with the Gaurdian, the rest could be any man and his dog playing keyboard warrior, anyone can set up his "Hyde park corner website" and voice his opinion on the world, since it is not a known source to me I couldn't take it as verifiable truth therefore must take it with a pinch of salt.

That's the point though Jim Murphy/Scottish Labour had all the media on their side.He was still trounced.Only the Sunday Herald and The National backed the SNP.What we witnessed up here was a battle of corporate media(the opinions of a few rich people) vs social media the (opinions of the masses).