Scottish Labour facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scottish Labour Party Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba  (Scottish Gaelic)
Labour Party Leader	Keir Starmer
Scottish Labour Leader	Anas Sarwar
Scottish Labour Deputy Leader	Jackie Baillie
General Secretary	John Paul McHugh
Founder	Keir Hardie
Founded	1888; 137 years ago (1888) (original form) 1994; 31 years ago (1994) (current form)
Preceded by	Scottish Labour Party (1888)
Headquarters	Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Student wing	Scottish Labour Students
Youth wing	Scottish Young Labour
Membership (2021)	16,467
Ideology	Social democracy Democratic socialism Scottish devolution British unionism
Political position	Centre-left
Colours	Red
House of Commons (Scottish seats)	2 / 59
Scottish Parliament	22 / 129
Local government in Scotland	283 / 1,227
Politics of Scotland Political parties

Scottish Labour, also known as the Scottish Labour Party, is the part of the main UK Labour Party that works in Scotland. This political party believes in social democracy, which means they want a fair society with a strong welfare system. They also support unionism, meaning they want Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.

Currently, Scottish Labour has 22 out of 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament. They also hold 2 out of 59 Scottish seats in the UK Parliament (House of Commons). Across Scotland, 262 of the 1,227 local councillors belong to the Scottish Labour party.

For many years, from the 1960s to the early 2000s, Labour was the most powerful political party in Scotland. They won the most votes in many elections, including UK general elections and the first two Scottish Parliament elections in 1999 and 2003. After these elections, Scottish Labour worked with the Scottish Liberal Democrats to form the Scottish government. However, in recent years, especially after the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the party has become less popular. Many of their supporters have started to vote for the Scottish National Party, which wants Scotland to be an independent country.

Scottish Labour faced one of their biggest defeats ever in the 2015 general election. They lost 40 of their 41 seats to the SNP, keeping only one seat in the House of Commons. This was the first time since 1959 that Labour was not the strongest party in Scotland. In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, they lost 13 more seats and became the third-largest party, behind the Scottish Conservatives.

Things looked a bit better for Scottish Labour in the 2017 general election. They gained six seats from the SNP, bringing their total to seven. This was the first time in 99 years that Labour finished in third place in a general election in Scotland. It was also the first time in 20 years that the Labour Party gained seats across the whole UK.

However, this success did not last long. In the 2019 general election, Labour lost all the new seats they had gained. Again, they were left with only one Scottish seat in the House of Commons. This was Labour's worst national result in 84 years.

The 2021 Scottish Parliament election saw Labour's number of seats in the Scottish Parliament drop even further to 22. This was their lowest number since the Scottish Parliament was created in 1999. Despite this, Anas Sarwar remained the leader. In the 2022 Scottish local elections, Labour gained 20 seats in local councils, showing a small improvement.

How Scottish Labour Works

Scottish Labour is officially part of the main UK Labour Party. It has its own leader and general secretary, who manages the party's daily activities in Scotland. The Scottish Labour headquarters is in Glasgow. The party holds a big meeting, called an annual conference, every year in February or March.

Scottish Executive Committee

The Scottish Labour party is managed by the Scottish Executive Committee (SEC), which is based in Glasgow. This committee includes members who represent party members, elected politicians, and other groups like trade unions.

The main officers of the Scottish Executive Committee are:

• Chair: Cara Hilton
• Vice Chair: Karen Whitefield
• Treasurer: Cathy Peattie

Party Members

In 2008, Scottish Labour had about 17,000 members. This was a decrease from around 30,000 members before the 1997 general election. The party has not always shared its exact membership numbers publicly.

In late 2015, after a boost from the 2015 Labour leadership election, nearly 30,000 people were connected to the party. This included 18,824 full members and others who were linked through trade unions. By February 2021, the number of members had fallen to 16,467.

Scottish Labour's History

The Labour Party has had members in Scotland since 1900. In 1909, the Scottish Workers' Representation Committee joined the Labour Party, making it much stronger in Scotland. To help organize things better, a Scottish Advisory Council was created in 1915. This group later became the Scottish Council of the Labour Party, and then the Scottish Labour Party.

The Scottish Labour Party strongly supported the idea of a devolved Scottish Parliament. This meant having a parliament in Scotland that could make decisions on some Scottish matters, while still being part of the UK. They worked with other parties and groups to campaign for a "Yes-Yes" vote in the 1997 referendum. This vote asked people if they wanted a Scottish Parliament and if it should have the power to change taxes.

The logo used by the Yes campaign in the 1997 Scottish devolution referendum; urging voters to vote Yes on both ballots.

1999–2007: Working with the Liberal Democrats

Donald Dewar led Labour's campaign for the first elections to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Labour won the most votes and seats, with 56 out of 129 seats. They formed a government with the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Donald Dewar became the first First Minister of Scotland.

Dewar sadly passed away in 2000. Henry McLeish was chosen to take his place. Labour continued to win most of Scotland's seats in the UK Parliament in the 2001 general election.

McLeish resigned later that year due to a problem with his office expenses. Jack McConnell then became the First Minister in November 2001. The Labour and Liberal Democrat government was re-elected in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election. Labour also won the most seats in Scotland in the 2005 general election.

Donald Dewar with Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of the 1st Scottish Parliament in 1999.

2007–2010: In Opposition at Holyrood

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Labour lost four seats and was narrowly beaten by the Scottish National Party (SNP). The SNP won 47 seats to Labour's 46. Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, became First Minister. Jack McConnell then announced he would resign as Scottish Labour leader. Wendy Alexander became the new leader in September 2007.

In 2008, Wendy Alexander seemed to support a referendum on Scottish independence, which was a change from Labour's previous stance. However, the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said this was not Labour policy. Alexander resigned later that year. Iain Gray was then elected as the new leader of Scottish Labour.

Re-evaluating the Party's Position

In the 2010 general election, Labour kept all its seats in Scotland. This was a good result, especially as they lost many seats in other parts of Britain. However, in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP won a clear majority, which was a big surprise. Labour lost seven seats. After this defeat, Iain Gray announced he would resign.

Following the 2011 election, a review suggested creating a new role: Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. Before this, the leader was only the head of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament. This change gave the Scottish party more independence. In December 2011, Johann Lamont was elected as the new leader. She said she wanted to change Scotland by changing the Scottish Labour Party.

In the 2012 Scottish local elections, Labour gained votes and council seats. They kept control of councils in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire.

Independence Referendum and Aftermath

Scottish Labour joined the campaign against Scottish independence, called Better Together.

For the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Scottish Labour joined with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to form the "Better Together" campaign. This group was against Scottish independence. Scottish Labour also ran its own campaign called "United with Labour".

The referendum took place on 18 September 2014. The "No" side, which wanted Scotland to stay in the UK, won with 55.3% of the vote. However, many areas that traditionally voted Labour actually voted "Yes" for independence. After the referendum, the SNP gained many new members and became much more popular than Labour in opinion polls.

In October 2014, Johann Lamont resigned as leader. She said that the UK Labour leadership was making it hard for her to change the Scottish Labour Party. Jim Murphy was then elected as the new leader. He promised a "fresh start" for Scottish Labour.

United with Labour launch.

Recent Challenges

Labour's popularity in Scotland continued to fall. In the general election in May 2015, they suffered a huge defeat. They lost 40 of their 41 seats to the SNP. Many important Labour politicians lost their seats. Ian Murray was the only Labour MP re-elected in Scotland. This was the first time since 1959 that Labour did not win the most votes in Scotland. Jim Murphy resigned as leader after this election. Kezia Dugdale then became the new leader in August 2015.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Labour lost a third of its seats, falling from 37 to 24. They got their lowest percentage of the vote in Scotland in 98 years and dropped to third place.

In the 2017 Scottish local elections, Labour's share of votes fell again, and they lost over 130 council seats. They also lost control of Glasgow and other councils where they had been in charge. However, in the 2017 general election, Labour did better than expected. They gained 6 seats from the SNP, bringing their total to 7 Scottish seats.

On 29 August 2017, Kezia Dugdale resigned as leader. Richard Leonard won the election to become the new leader in November 2017. In the 2019 general election, Scottish Labour again ended up with only one seat in the UK Parliament. Richard Leonard apologized for the results but said he would continue as leader.

Richard Leonard resigned as leader in January 2021. Anas Sarwar was then elected as the new leader of the Scottish Labour Party in February 2021. He promised to bring the party together. In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Labour lost two more seats, reaching an all-time low of 22 MSPs. However, this was better than some predictions.

New Scottish Labour logo with a thistle rather than the traditional red rose.

In February 2022, Anas Sarwar spoke about how the party needed to improve. The party then changed its traditional red rose logo to a red and purple thistle. This was part of their effort to show they are changing and focusing on the future.

In the 2022 Scottish local elections, Labour made small gains and moved into second place, ahead of the Conservatives. However, they were still far behind the SNP. Labour won 282 seats overall.

Anas Sarwar, like the UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, is against holding another Scottish independence referendum. In October 2023, Labour won the 2023 Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, gaining a seat from the SNP.

Who Represents Scottish Labour Now

Here are some of the people who represent Scottish Labour in Parliament:

In the UK Parliament (House of Commons)

• Ian Murray – He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh South. He has been an MP since 2010.
• Michael Shanks - He is the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. He was elected in 2023.

In the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood)

These are some of the main spokespeople for Scottish Labour in the Scottish Parliament:

• Anas Sarwar – He is the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
• Jackie Baillie – She is the Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour.
• Ian Murray – He is the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland.
• Neil Bibby – He is the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
• Sarah Boyack – She is the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy, and Just Transition.
• Pam Duncan-Glancy – She is the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.
• Daniel Johnson – He is the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Business and Fair Work.
• Pauline McNeill – She is the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice.
• Michael Marra – He is the Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance.

Members of the 6th Scottish Parliament (2021–present)

How Scottish Labour Has Performed in Elections

This section shows how Scottish Labour has done in different elections over the years.

UK Parliament Elections (House of Commons)

Election	Scotland		+/–	Rank
	%	Seats
Jan 1910	5.1	2 / 70		3rd
Dec 1910	3.6	3 / 70	1	3rd
1918	22.9	6 / 71	3	4th
1922	32.2	29 / 71	23	1st
1923	35.9	34 / 71	5	1st
1924	41.1	26 / 71	8	2nd
1929	42.3	36 / 71	10	1st
1931	32.6	7 / 71	29	3rd
1935	36.8	20 / 71	13	2nd
1945	47.9	37 / 71	17	1st
1950	46.2	37 / 71		1st
1951	47.9	35 / 71	2	2nd
1955	46.7	34 / 71	1	2nd
1959	46.7	38 / 71	4	1st
1964	48.7	43 / 71	5	1st
1966	49.8	46 / 71	3	1st
1970	44.5	44 / 71	2	1st
Feb 1974	36.6	40 / 71	4	1st
Oct 1974	36.3	41 / 71	1	1st
1979	41.6	44 / 71	3	1st
1983	35.1	41 / 72	3	1st
1987	42.4	50 / 72	9	1st
1992	39.0	49 / 72	1	1st
1997	45.6	56 / 72	7	1st
2001	43.3	56 / 72		1st
2005	39.5	41 / 59	15	1st
2010	42.0	41 / 59		1st
2015	24.3	1 / 59	40	2nd
2017	27.1	7 / 59	6	3rd
2019	18.6	1 / 59	6	4th

Red indicates the seats won by Labour at the 2019 general election.

Scottish Parliament Elections

Election	Constituency			Regional			Total seats	+/–	Rank	Government
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
1999	908,346	38.8	53 / 73	786,818	33.6	3 / 56	56 / 129		1st	Lab–LD
2003	663,585	34.6	46 / 73	561,375	29.3	4 / 56	50 / 129	6	1st	Lab–LD
2007	648,374	32.1	37 / 73	595,415	29.2	9 / 56	46 / 129	4	2nd	Opposition
2011	630,461	31.7	15 / 73	523,469	26.3	22 / 56	37 / 129	9	2nd	Opposition
2016	514,261	22.6	3 / 73	435,919	19.1	21 / 56	24 / 129	13	3rd	Opposition
2021	584,392	21.6	2 / 73	485,819	17.9	20 / 56	22 / 129	2	3rd	Opposition

Red indicates seats won by Labour at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

Local Council Elections

Election	%	Councillors	+/–
1995	43.6	613 / 1,155
1999	36.6	550 / 1,222	63
2003	32.6	509 / 1,222	41
2007	28.1	348 / 1,222	161
2012	31.4	394 / 1,223	46
2017	20.2	262 / 1,227	133
2022	21.7	282 / 1,226	20

2022 local election results in Scotland where red represents Labour.

European Parliament Elections

Election	Scotland		+/–
	%	Seats
1979	33.0	2 / 8
1984	40.7	5 / 8	3
1989	41.9	7 / 8	2
1994	42.5	6 / 8	1
1999	28.7	3 / 8	3
2004	26.4	2 / 7	1
2009	20.8	2 / 6
2014	25.9	2 / 6
2019	9.3	0 / 6	2

See Also

• Campaign for Socialism