Brexit must be the Labour Party piece

SCOTTISH Labour is gathering in Dundee this weekend under the shadow of controversy – nothing out of the ordinary for a party that has fallen into the trap of arguing with itself instead of talking to voters.

Claims of failing to tackle anti-Semitism stalk the party and arguments on Brexit threaten to derail debate.

On racism and bigotry, the Scottish Labour Party should send a clear message to voters that such actions will never be tolerated.

On Brexit, the party finds itself with nothing to say, in a holding pattern until instructions come from planet Corbyn.

In a country where 62 per cent voted to remain in the EU and where party policy was to remain in the EU, the message ought to be loud and clear that Scottish Labour is the party of Remain. Why isn’t it?

Scottish Labour found itself out of step with many supporters and paid the price by being punted out of power by voters.

That situation only continues while the SNP inhabits Labour’s political space and while the Tories promote themselves as the bulwark against independence.

The SNP’s deliberate move to the left proves Scotland’s soul still lies on that side of the political divide.

The challenge facing Scottish Labour is how to use this conference to set out how it hopes to reclaim those voters it has lost. Brexit would be a good place to start.