How the SNP must respond to Jeremy Corbyn's speech: Be radical

There were memorable moments aplenty in his closing address to the Labour Party conference – like the powerful description of workers as wealth creators; the pledge to recognise a Palestinian state; his vow to end the “greed is good” culture that led to the financial crash; and his swipe at the “political and corporate establishment” which “strained every sinew” to prop up the banking sector instead of reforming it, like plucky little Iceland.

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In many ways, Corbyn reprised Harold Wilson’s “white heat of technology” speech delivered to the Labour Party conference in Scarborough 55 years ago. The veteran leader created a touchstone for post-war society when he declared that a “new Britain” would have to be forged in the “white heat” of scientific revolution to prosper. Half a century later, there’s a new colour of transformation – a “green jobs revolution” to create a sustainable, low-carbon economy with enhanced workers’ rights and many privatised utilities renationalised.

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There’s no doubt this speech hit all the right notes for Labour members and Corbyn was cheered more than 100 times before delegates jumped to a standing ovation with more than a dutiful air. As a fan commented on twitter: “I somehow doubt this time next week, the Tories will be chanting ‘Oh Andrea Leadsom.’”

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Indeed. It’s not a bad vision. But does it have a hope in hell of being realised at Westminster? That’s the big question for Labour – and supporters of Scottish independence too.

Of course, the mainstream press and opposition parties immediately started pulling the speech to pieces. Not just for what it contained – radical ideas – but for what it didn’t try to tackle or resolve; Brexit, anti-Semitism, the role of Momentum and the controversial mandatory reselection of sitting MPs.

These are big, problem areas for Labour – but do the party’s core working-class English supporters really care enough about them to vote for somebody else?

Are left-wing, English Remain voters really going to vote LibDem or Green in a first-past-the post system that wastes every vote save those cast for the dead cert winner? Are Leave voters going to vote Ukip when the party’s been discredited and dismantled and has never actually won a Westminster seat, even at the height of Farage-mania? Or does a Labour Party that’s willing to play it by ear look as good as it’s going to get for most progressive English voters? Sure, Labour is all over the place on Brexit – but that’s not a bad strategy for trying to win the next General Election. If both sides in England think they have a serious chance of being heard, a woolly Labour Party position on Brexit can probably be tholed.

The question is how Labour’s radical package plays north of the Border – because Corbyn must still bag some Scottish seats to realise his dream of becoming Prime Minister.

Listening to that Corbyn speech, politically-aware Scots will immediately realise two big things.

Firstly, Corbyn spent a whole 20 seconds on Scottish-specific stuff. Again. Secondly, he “borrowed” quite a lot of SNP ideas, without acknowledging the fact. As usual.

Take renationalising water – Scotland never privatised it in the first place. Take building council houses – Scotland’s been at it for years. Ending no fault evictions? They ended here last year. What about the promise of free higher and further education? That happened here in 2008 – at least for full-time students. Nationalising rail? Even without full powers. Scotland’s working on a public-sector takeover of the troubled ScotRail franchise. Ending the “rip-off” of PFI? The Scottish Government stopped using PFI 10 years ago – that’s why public money was used to build big infrastructure projects like the new Queensferry Crossing and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital instead. It would be nice if we weren’t spending millions to pay for Labour’s massive PFI mistake. But hey. Bygones.

Still, Jeremy is offering free childcare for all two year olds. But Scotland already caters for all vulnerable two-year-olds and will extend that to all three and four-year-olds soon.

There’s no doubt the Labour leader’s new green plans are impressive. He wants to impose green taxes on landlords, double the number of wind farms and increase offshore farms sevenfold.

Fine – but Scotland’s already producing 50% of our electricity from renewables. We are now aiming for 50% of our heat, transport and electricity consumption to be supplied from renewable sources by 2030. That’s far in excess of anything Labour can achieve from a standing start.

Jeremy wants to put solar panels on “every viable” roof in Britain.

Dundee was about to do that in 2011. With 60% south-facing roofs and one of the longest winter sunlight totals in Britain, Dundee was made to become our first solar city. But the incoming Tory UK Government slashed the subsidy for solar panels and plans were axed. Dundee went for a huge (and award-winning) insulation programme instead, cladding multi-blocks with non-flammable mineral wool and then tackling low-rise homes – a programme that’s still continuing. So should the city get geared up for a solar future again now that Jeremy’s become a believer?

Mibbes aye, mibbes naw.

Of course, some folk will vote Labour in the hope that the party really is committed to renewables – unlike changeable David (huskies) Cameron – and can stay in power long enough to deliver the decades of green leadership needed to create an eco society. But far more believe independence is needed to give Scotland complete, permanent control over our energy future.

I know which option looks safer to me.

Scots may also spot that the Brexit solution emerging from Labour’s prevarication over Europe looks suspiciously like the “halfway house” of the EEA, which offers small countries full access to the single market in exchange for lots of cash and observance of EU rules like freedom of movement.

It’s hard to see how that’s better than being a full EU member and Norway’s on record saying it doesn’t want a massive new addition like Britain, which will inevitably destabilise its perfectly formed club of wee nation minnows like Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and itself.

But there’s another problem.

Full access to the single market is what Nicola Sturgeon advocated in her White Paper back in 2016 – a proposal that was roundly ridiculed or ignored by every party, including Labour. It’s ironic beyond words.

And doubtless many Scots watching Jeremy Corbyn will have figured out for themselves how far English radicalism is generally lagging behind Scotland.

But others won’t. And that should provide a warning for the SNP.

Dinnae rest on your laurels.

Of course Labour’s position on Brexit is “contradictory fudge” and “political lunacy”.

Of course, Richard Leonard is getting all the wrong headlines in Scotland, telling former voters they can’t back independence to build the very social democracy he purportedly wants.

But working-class voters will not hear this kind of detail. They will not worry about anti-Semitism. They will just hear a political leader with a chance of getting elected who is talking about them, not markets, bankers and a middle way. That is hugely powerful and it’s why Corbyn defied the polls and pundits in the snap election last time to come from “nowhere” to a reasonable result.

The British and Scottish commentariat is so middle class, so governed by chattering-class issues that they/we often don’t understand how entirely excluded working-class England has become. Part of the north of England Brexit vote was a two (self-harming) fingers held up to the lot of them/us – to the folk who spend their lives poring over the detail of policies that rarely improve the situation of the poor. The fact that Scottish unemployed and working-class voters have remained engaged and bucked that cynical trend, by voting for independence and staying in Europe, is an astonishing and precious act of faith in Scotland’s different political culture. But it has to keep being different – Scottish political leaders have to deliver and not just talk about delivery.

This is where Corbyn could still score. He will have media opportunities aplenty in the coming months, with his “radical, new ideas” beamed into every household in Scotland. The SNP leadership, at their own party conference, must consolidate and rejuvenate their own radical claims and talk about the goal of independence as wholeheartedly and enthusiastically as Jeremy Corbyn talks about workers’ control.

The truth is that Labour could actually win a snap General Election – whatever the polls say and even without a Scottish revival. Or at least Labour could be the largest party in seats and votes, giving Jeremy Corbyn the right to do what David Cameron did in 2011 and form a coalition government – most likely with the SNP.

So let’s not be overly dismissive and contemptuous of the man.

Let’s use Labour snapping at the heels of the SNP to push for more adventurous policy solutions right now – not much later.

Scottish voters have learned to take downbeat assessments of prospects for independence with a pinch of salt – we’d be wise to keep the salt cellar on the table for predictions about Labour’s poor electoral chances too – whatever the London-based mainstream media say.