Labour Leadership announcement...

I'm no big fan of Labour. To be frank, the way things are right now, openly admitting you're a fan of the Labour Party is like openly saying Gary Glitter seems like an ok chap. Even if you believe it, you don't want to get looked at funny.

And so to today's announcement which will dictate the next episode of the Scottish Parliament.

Jack McConnell
Wendy Alexander
Andy Kerr
Malcolm Chisholm
Frank McAveety
Cathy Jamieson
Margaret Curran

These are the 'old guard' of Labour, that the public has seen, heard (too much of) and recognise as 'that's him/her fae the Labour Party'. The problem is, the Labour party is now a mess, it's a walking shell-suit, desperately in need of change.

If Kerr or Jamieson gets the nomination, then it's goodnight Labour, and we'll see you right after the election when your new leader's stood down after another trouncing on the ballot.

It's the basic communication concept of 'signs and signifiers';

You see a big red cross, you think of medical care.
You see a skull and crossbones on a bottle, you think of poison.
You see a big red bus, you think of London.

In this case, you see Kerr or Jamieson and you think of mediocrity.
These are the guys that represent the Scottish Labour Party that was deserted by swathes of the Scottish people. It's like Margaret Curran standing in the Glasgow East by-election.

What the Labour Party just doesn't seem to understand is that we the people know these politicians and have seen what they can do, have heard what they've promised and have decided that they just don't cut it.

The Tories made the same, simple mistake when they elected Howard as their leader in Westminster. In the end, eventually, they went for someone new, someone fresh, who the people didn't associate with their past mistakes and calamity, and chose David Cameron - and what a difference!

Scotland needs a strong opposition, but also one led by someone who isn't associated with their gory past and someone who isn't pining for 'the good old days'. In Iain Gray, they may not have the winning formula with which to 'take back the house', but they have a better chance of making ground, moving forward and providing Scotland and the Scottish Parliament what it will always need - strong, sensible opposition on whom the electorate can rely.

If they choose anyone but Gray, they are doomed to an extended spell on the subs bench of successful parliamentary politics.