Put people before pointless fighting

IN RECENT years Scottish Labour have had more plots than EastEnders and a significantly higher body count.

So the party’s latest descent into civil war is as unsurprising as it is depressing.

The contest to replace Kezia Dugdale was always going to become a bunfight between hard left followers of Jeremy Corbyn and more moderate forces.

But you would have thought the factions could have put hostilities on hold for the duration of the UK leader’s speech.

It was an unedifying sight to witness Labour figures squabbling on social media as Corbyn was insisting the party are unified.

Election success means his authority over the party at a UK level is unquestioned. But the fate of Scottish Labour is less certain.

Interim leader Alex Rowley’s admission that he backs the Corbynistas’ candidate, Richard Leonard, is not much of a revelation.

Confirmation that left-wing figures had plotted Dugdale’s downfall is more damaging.

The developments are frustrating for those who need a Labour prime minister and understand a Scottish revival is essential to any future Corbyn victory.

His message has resonated in communities across Scotland and helped inspire the extra Scottish MPs the party picked up in June.

Yet the party are kidding themselves if they think Scotland is ready to blindly vote Labour again after a brief flirtation with nationalism.

At the SNP conference in 10 days, Nicola Sturgeon will take Corbyn’s left-wing message and douse it in tartan paint.

The snap general election could mark the start of Labour’s comeback in Scotland.

But if the party’s representatives can’t trust each other, how on earth do they expect to win back the trust of voters?