Every time you think Scottish Labour has hit rock bottom the party seems to drill that little bit deeper into the crisis well.
Amid grim polls, they kept leaning against the ropes and allowing the SNP to dominate them even after the independence referendum. Labour’s being on the winning side never seems to have felt like a victory for them.
Johann Lamont’s stab-proof vest could only withstand so much attack and eventually she decided to grab her own sword and fall on it to escape the constant prick of knives in her back.
She lashed out at the UK party as she left, as if all the problems lie squarely at the doors of MPs. For sure, some treated her appallingly and without any respect but there is a dearth of vision in Labour which all politicians need to take responsibility for especially if you were supposed to have been a leader.
Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty has been openly scathing about the Scottish party’s “dreadful position”.
He said: “The electorate looks at us and has no idea what our policies are. We have a moribund party in Scotland that seems to think that infighting is more important than campaigning.”
You can be sure that won’t be popular with his colleagues but it is bang on the money. Just look at the Ipsos Mori poll released on Thursday.
Now, there is no way the SNP will actually take 54 of Scotland’s 59 seats at Westminster, even strategists within Scotland’s party of government admit that.
However, the fact 52% of the population apparently back the party must mean Labour HQ’s alarm bells, which should have been ringing for some time now, must be cranked up to 11.
Whoever the new leader, and deputy after Anas Sarwar decided to quit in spectacular style at the party’s gala dinner, has a massive job on their hands.
They need unity, purpose and vision to be even the effective opposition any functioning democracy needs.
And that’s before they even begin to contemplate running the country.
* NOW AN antidote to all the fighting and factions. I’m not talking about Labour’s internal strife but the hatred which can bubble to the surface with the SNP.
Thankfully a tale has come in of cross-party harmony. It turns out Glenrothes MP Lindsay Roy taught Perth and North Perthshire representative Pete Wishart modern studies.
Thankfully the two get on well despite cross-party rivalries and Pete admits he could never figure out where his teacher lay politically during classroom debates.
He added: “Lindsay was either responsible for a glittering political career or it’s all his fault!”
For his part, Lindsay reckons it’s a good thing pupils couldn’t pin his views down as he played devil’s advocate, which in West Fife more often than not meant arguing against his own beliefs.
Apparently the class was split 50/50 over whether he was an SNP or Conservative supporter.
He said: “Pete’s story is a real success story of Scottish education. He developed a music career and then a career in politics. He may have been in Runrig but he never got the run-around on me in the classroom!”
* PRESIDING OFFICER Tricia Marwick likes to keep a close eye on the goings-on right throughout Holyrood but she sparked rumours of a job swap during a trip outside the building in the pouring rain this week.
The Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP grabbed the only brolly to hand, which happened to be a branded Labour Party number.
Inevitably this led to questions of a Labour leadership bid or at the very least incredibly extensive cross-party cooperation from the politician elected for the SNP!
* JUST IN case anyone was in any doubt Scottish Labour is a bit all over the place I said just in case the party decided to broadcast its troubles to all of its opponents in Holyrood.
An invite to a group meeting in the wake of Johann Lamont’s resignation was inadvertently emailed to every single MSP.
One caustic recipient remarked: “Perhaps they realise how wide they need to cast the net to find a leader.”
* IT’S FAIR to say most bands on the touring circuit make their money from their merchandise sales.
Looks like Nicola Sturgeon, not content with being First Minister in waiting with a massive poll lead and huge approval ratings, is going for the rock star styles too.
At her first gig at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange, a good venue for rock bands there were T-shirts with all her tour dates emblazoned for the fans to buy. Nicola has entered the building.