Organisation of Scottish Labour


The Organisation of Scottish Labour is a body established under the national rules of the UK Labour Party.

Timeline

Origins and evolution of Scottish Labour
  • In August 1888, after contesting the Mid Lanarkshire by-election, Keir Hardie co-founded with Liberal MP Robert Cunninghame-Graham the Scottish Labour Party with the support of the Scottish Miners' Federation, local trade unions, the Dundee Radical Association, the Scottish Home Rule Association, Crofters Party MPs, and the Scottish Land Restoration League.
  • In December 1888, the Scottish Socialist Federation was formed by members of the Social Democratic Federation.
  • In August 1891, the Scottish United Trades Councils Labour Party was formed.
  • In July 1892 general election, the SUTCLP gained support from the SSF.
  • In January 1893, Keir Hardie and others formed the Independent Labour Party.
  • In March 1893, the SUTCLP dissolved, advising members to join the ILP.
  • In 1893, the Scottish Socialist Federation affiliated with the ILP.
  • In 1894, the Scottish Labour Party of 1888 had by then made little impact and dissolved itself into the ILP.
  • In March 1897, the Scottish Trades Union Congress was formed in Glasgow, as a result of a political dispute with the TUC regarding political representation for the Labour movement.
  • In 1899, the STUC with the ILP's Scottish branch formed the parliamentary campaign group Scottish Workers' Representation Committee
  • In 1900, the ILP played a central role in the formation of the Labour Representation Committee which was created by ILP Chairman Hardie's motion to create a single Labour parliamentary body that was passed at a special conference organised by the TUC. ILP nominee Ramsay MacDonald was elected as Secretary of the LRC.
  • In 1906, the LRC is renamed the Labour Party, with the ILP becoming a Labour party affiliate and providing much of its activist base.
  • In 1909, the SWRC was dissolved and merged with the Labour Party.
  • In 1915, a subordinate Scottish Advisory Council was formed by the Labour Party.
  • In 1918, Scotland was formalised a "region" in the Labour party constitution and the SAC was renamed as the Scottish Council of the Labour Party
  • In 1994, the Scottish Council of the Labour Party was renamed the Scottish Labour Party.
  • In 2011, the Scottish Labour Party carried out a review of its organisation and elected its first ever overall leader.

    Structure

  • UK Labour Party Head Office, London
  • * UK Labour Leader's Office
  • UK National Executive Committee
  • * Scottish Labour Party Head Office, Glasgow
  • ** Scottish Labour Leader's Office
  • ** Scottish Executive Committee
  • *** Affiliated STUC trade unions, socialist societies and the Co-operative Party
  • *** Scottish Policy Forum
  • **** Policy commissions & local policy forums
  • *** Scottish Labour Conference
  • ** Scottish Labour Press Office
  • ** Labour Support Unit, Scottish Parliament
  • *Constituency Labour Parties
  • ** Branch Labour Parties

    Scottish Executive Committee

The Scottish Executive Committee is the governing body of the Scottish Labour Party, responsible for administrative matters and strategic policy direction. The SEC officially meets every second month, with much of day-to-day party business and operations undertaken in groups and commissions. The SEC has three different membership sections – Constituency Labour Party members, elected members and trade unions and affiliates. It is further split into the local government sub-committee and the constitution, fundraising and campaigns working groups.
Membership as of 2021:
Office Bearers
Elected Members
Constituency Labour Party members
  • Johanna Baxter – West of Scotland/Mid Scotland & Fife
  • Cara Hilton – West of Scotland/Mid Scotland & Fife
  • Lina Nass – North East Scotland/Highlands & Islands
  • Marion Sporing – North East Scotland/Highlands & Islands
  • Suzan King – Central Scotland/Glasgow
  • James Adams – Central Scotland/Glasgow
  • Scott Arthur – Lothians/South of Scotland
  • Ann Henderson – Lothians/South of Scotland
Trade Union Section
  • Drew Smith – GMB
  • Cathy Murphy GMB
  • Jackson Cullinane – Unite
  • Siobhan McCready – Unite
  • Simon Macfarlane – Unison
  • Maggie Cook – Unison
  • Jacqueline Martin – USDAW
  • Karen Whitefield – USDAW
  • Cathy Peattie – CWU
  • John McCue – ASLEF
Scottish Labour Women's Committee
  • Lorna Robertson
  • Monique McAdams
Co-operative Party & Socialist Societies
  • Ben Procter
  • Katherine Sangster
Scottish Young Labour
  • Coll Mcail
  • Lauren Harper

    Chairs of Scottish Labour

Scottish Policy Forum

The Scottish Policy Forum is a body of the Scottish Labour Party responsible for developing a rolling policy programme on devolved matters. The Scottish Annual Conference approves policies of the SPF programme every year with the Scottish Executive Committee deciding which items of the programme are to be incorporated in Labour's manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections. The SPF policy-making process is led by the 80 members elected from all sections of the party. The SPF establishes policy commissions to draw together policy discussion documents for consultation over three stages. The SPF is subordinate and feeds reports to the National Policy Forum.

General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party

The General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party, subordinate to the General Secretary of the Labour Party, is the administrative head and the most senior permanent staff member of the Scottish Labour Party. The General Secretary is responsible for running the party's organisation: legal affairs, staff management, campaigns, conferences, and liaising with the UK party. They also act as the Registered Treasurer, responsible for the party's financial accounts.
General SecretaryNotes
1914–1931Ben Shaw
1932–1939Arthur Woodburn
1939–1951John Taylor
1951–1971Willie Marshall
1977–1988Helen Liddell
1988–1992Murray Elder
1992–1998Jack McConnellLeft role in 1998 to work for 9 months at lobbying firm Public Affairs Europe Ltd, owned by Beattie Media and Maclay Murray & Spens
In 1999, elected as Motherwell and Wishaw MSP and became First Minister of Scotland in 2001
Elevated to House of Lords as Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale in 2010
1998–1999Alex RowleySacked as general secretary after setting out proposals for giving Scottish Labour more freedom from London control
Went on to become a Fife councillor, Leader of Fife Council, and MSP for Cowdenbeath
Elected Scottish Labour deputy leader in 2014 however stood down in 2017 following allegations of misconduct from a former partner
1999–2008Joined the Labour Party as a 16-year-old junior shorthand typist
As assistant general secretary, became acting general secretary in June 1999 to coordinate 1999 European election campaign
Formally appointed as general secretary in November 1999
Stood down at 2008 Scottish Labour conference in Aviemore in March
2008–2012Colin SmythDumfries and Galloway councillor for Nith Ward
Elected as a regional member for South Scotland at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election
2012–2013Brian Roy
2013–2014Ian Price
2014Fiona Stanton
2014–2019Brian Roy
2019–2020Lorna Finlayson
2020Michael Sharpe
2021Drew Smith
2021-2023James Kelly
2023-2024John Paul McHugh
2024-PresentKate Watson

Staff

  • Press Office
  • * Media Monitoring Unit
  • * Rebuttal Unit
  • * Regional press teams
  • Research Unit
  • Administrative support
  • Scottish Parliamentary Labour Support Unit
Director of CommunicationsNotes
1998April 1998 to 21 May 1998
Headhunted by Donald Dewar and Gordon Brown
Ran Labour's Scottish press campaign in the 1992 general election
Four years as an aide/researcher to Gordon Brown, alongside Pat McFadden and David Miliband
Head of STV news production until April 1998 Returned to STV from 1998 until 2004
Worked for Oxfam from 2004 until 2006, when he joined Al Jazeera
1998–1999Lorraine DavidsonJuly 1998 to July 1999
2000–2002John ScottFrom February 2000
2001–2005Colin Edgar
2006–2007Steven Lawther
2007Brian Lironi
2007Matthew Marr
2007Gavin Yates
2007–2008Tony McElroy
2008Rami Okasha
2019Conrad Landin

Special Advisers to Donald Dewar
As Secretary of State for Scotland :
  • Wendy Alexander
  • Murray Elder
  • David Whitton
As First Minister :
  • John Rafferty – Chief of staff
  • Philip Chalmers – Head of the Scottish Executive's strategic communications unit
  • David Whitton
  • Brian Fitzpatrick
  • John MacLaren
  • Professor Donald Maclennan
  • Neil Gillam
  • Chris Winslow