Ayr by-election Result 16 th March 2000

'The Liberal Democrats in the Scottish Parliament have no principles, no policies, no discipline and no leadership. The sooner we're rid of this ragtag rabble the better.'
David McLetchie, 29 th February 2000.

Labour's party machine to get an overhaul

By Iain Martin, Political Editor in Scotland on Sunday

SCOTTISH Secretary John Reid is to launch a root and branch overhaul of the Labour campaign machine after the party’s third place showing in the Ayr by-election.

A recruitment drive for senior staff at party headquarters is planned and MSPs are also demanding that existing staff have more contact with the Scottish parliament team in Edinburgh.

Despite denials from allies of Reid that the move is a reaction to Labour’s slump in Ayr, others in the party said the result had focused attention on the state of the party machine.

There will be a private report on the conduct of the Ayr campaign and Reid is expected to take personal charge of trying to reinvigorate the Labour campaign organisation across the country.

An MSP said: "John Reid is in charge of the general election in Scotland and what is there now is a shadow of what we had last May. That will have to be completely rebuilt from almost nothing."

It is unclear yet whether Wednesday’s group meeting of Labour MSPs will discuss the Ayr by-election. The debate may be postponed because the leadership is anxious about leaks and does not want reports of splits between MSPs and Dewar over Ayr.

After the recent Scottish Labour conference and Prime Minister Tony Blair’s visit, Downing Street and Millbank are also understood to have expressed their concern about party organisation north of the Border.

There are worries that the party now does not have an experienced pollster or marketing expert on board. Philip Chalmers, who quit Donald Dewar’s team as a special adviser, was expected to move back to party HQ for the election.

A source said: We want the best people and we have to do it all very quickly."

Millbank insiders were highly critical of the set on stage at conference and claimed that they had to belatedly help out with arrangements because vital work had not been done.

After Ayr, Reid’s allies are also stressing that the relationship between the Scottish Secretary and First Minister Dewar has improved in recent months. Reid will call in rebel MPs at Westminster in the weeks ahead to ask them to stop publicly questioning the record of Dewar and the performance of the Scottish Executive.

With a little over a year left until the expected date of the next general election, those close to Reid believe that recent infighting in Labour has been counter-productive.

"We have to unite, there’s an election coming. Neither of the two groups can do it alone. John Reid and Donald have both known that for some time, hopefully other people will now get the message. There has to be a recognition that we are all wearing the same jerseys," the source said.

But one senior Labour figure in the Scottish parliament criticised Reid. "If people like John Reid want to behave the way they have towards Donald and the Scottish parliament then this is what happens. It was said that John Reid was running the by-election but he doesn’t seem to have made much difference.

"His people are always saying they are the experts. When are we going to see some examples of their expertise."

March 19 th 2000

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