Rebound in Scotland crucial if Labour are to defeat Tories, concludes report

Network of figures also found lack of strategy led to historic defeat

Winning seats in Scotland is essential if Labour wants to return to government, a new report on the party’s 2019 election “meltdown” has concluded.

The report, by key party figures including former leader Ed Miliband, warned if Labour fails to “reverse its fortunes in Scotland in a significant way”, it would need a huge swing.

The 153-page report was produced by Labour Together – a network of party members, supporters and politicians – to examine the reasons for last year’s election defeat.

It said that in Scotland, Labour’s “confused” position on the key issues of both Brexit and a second independence referendum were damaging.

The report stated: “Labour suffered a meltdown in Scotland, polling well below even the Tories, with the SNP making significant gains.

“The SNP gained at Labour’s expense among key swing voter tribes. Brexit, the UK leadership and our position on a second independence referendum were key factors in our loss.”

Across the UK, the 2019 election was a “terrible defeat for Labour”.

In Scotland, Labour lost six of the seven seats it had won in 2017, with only Ian Murray managing to hold on in Edinburgh South.

Mr Murray said: “Many of us highlighted the mistakes that were being made for some time, yet we were ignored – and the result was the devastating election defeat that has saddled us with Boris Johnson.”

Just 51% of the Scots who voted Labour in 2017 stuck with the party last year, as it recorded its “worst ever” vote share at 18.6%.

But the report claimed Labour “went into the 2019 election without a clear strategy”, adding “activists were misdirected and resources were limited and misallocated”.

Concerns about then-Labour leader

Jeremy Corbyn were a “significant factor in our election loss in 2019”, the report said, adding that in Scotland his “unpopularity” was linked to his “perceived equivocation on Brexit”.

The report added: “In both the independence and Brexit debates, Labour was caught between more forceful voices on either side with a message that, to many, looked confused or evasive.”

Labour now needs to “get behind the resolved position on no new independence referendum” which has been set out by new leader Sir Keir Starmer, the report said.

The report said: “To win the 124 seats needed to have a majority in the next Parliament, Labour needs to increase its number of MPs by more than 60%. This has never been achieved by any major party.

“Winning back seats in Scotland and Wales is essential to win a majority.”

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “We have begun the work of ensuring our message is clear, relatable and appealing, but we recognise that there is still much work to be done to win back trust and support.”

Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership was a factor.