LABOUR has given us clear proof of its panic, despite the "don't mention the by-election" routine adopted by the prime minister, with its Scottish MPs calling for a change to Scotland's voting systems (February 16). Admittedly, the plethora of electoral models adopted by Labour in Scotland would confuse even a seasoned political anorak, let alone the average punter in the street. Clarification of these arrangements would be helpful and should have been provided in a more comprehensive fashion by the Scottish Executive already.
However, Labour MPs' proposals to let the people decide which model would suit best across the board are a crude, thinly-veiled attempt to roll the clock back to the good old days of unrepresentative Labour domination - such as persists in Scottish Labour representation at Westminster.
First-past-the-post is simplistic and comfortable; it would inevitably be chosen. It would reduce the Scottish Parliament's representativeness and effectiveness, such as it is, by granting Labour a ridiculously over-inflated majority, squeezing the Nats and the Tories and eliminating the smaller parties and independents. We've seen at UK level how Labour behaves in this scenario. That should be a warning to all.
Of course, this is what these Labour MPs nervously eyeing the Dunfermline result want. Despite their obvious distaste (how many of them have left Westminster for Edinburgh? ) Holyrood is here to stay and these calls for reform are irrebuttable evidence that old Labour has never managed to reconcile itself to the politics of postdevolution Scotland.
The more strident Nats and the initially reticent Conservatives have reconciled themselves to devolution and to working positively within the present framework, but the attitude of these Labour MPs demonstrates that they have not.
They have singularly failed to learn the lessons of last week; attempts to turn Scotland into a one-party state are exactly what cost Labour the by-election. Voters in the streets of Dunfermline routinely complained about being taken for granted. Labour would be well-advised to change the style and substance of its government, rather than attempting to hijack Scottish politics for its own narrow, self-serving political ends.
Perhaps instead of calling for a change to the voting system, we should all be calling for a change of government.
Fraser Crawford, 52 Gloucester Drive, London.
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