Murphy's law for Labour

A very long time ago The Scotsman compared Tony Blair's first 100 days in office with that of the then Scottish Office under Donald Dewar.

The newspaper, which I worked for at the time, said the Scottish Office had "hit the ground strolling" compared to the new Labour UK government.

I have to confess I had a hand in the paper coming to that verdict. Harsh perhaps but it was how it appeared at the time.

The speed with which the UK government under Blair and Gordon Brown had moved - for example giving the Bank of England independence - was impressive.

By comparison it appeared there was little happening in Scotland, a charge that Mr Dewar and his civil servants bridled at.

They were, they said, working flat out to fulfil their promise to establish the Scottish parliament. And indeed they were. And they did. Swiftly.

In that context how then to characterise the actions of the man who can be seen - with rather a lot of leaders comes and gone since - as the Mr Dewar's successor, Jim Murphy?

It would be fair to say that since his election on Saturday Mr Murphy has hit the ground running.

He announced he wants a new constitution for the party, that he will take the decisions without consulting London, and today unveiled a new 'shadow cabinet'.

In an interview with me for tonight's Representing Border Mr Murphy has made it clear where he stands on key policy issues north of the Border.

At the heart of Murphy's law is the new constitution. Scottish Labour will be "both a democratic socialist party and a patriotic party".

Taking the second of those first, Mr Murphy wants to continue a theme from when he was Secretary of State for Scotland by 'reclaiming the Saltire' from the SNP.

As for the first, will that make Scottish Labour red in tooth and claw under Mr Murphy so it can build what he calls "a more equal and fairer society".Not if what he told me is anything to go by.

It is a fact that SNP policies like freezing the council tax, or abolishing prescription changes have benefited what we might still call the middle classes.

Indeed the abolition of the council tax freeze is a key demand of Labour councils as the leader of Dumfries and Galloway Ronnie Nicholson told me recently.

You might think a democratic socialist would end such policies and redistribute the resources to the less well off, or what we might still call the working class?

Not a bit of it. Mr Murphy is scathing about the attack on such policies made by his predecessor Johann Lamont - what she called "something for nothing" benefits.

So if he is elected First Minister (and remember it is a big 'if' with polls suggesting Labour is well behind the SNP and Mr Murphy still an MP in search of an MSP seat) those policies will stay.

As will others like "free" university tuition fees, another policy which critics say benefits the middle classes more than the less well off in Scotland.Instead Mr Murphy maintains he will find £250 million from taxing the 16,000 higher earners in Scotland at 50p, when the powers come to Holyrood under the Smith agreement.

And Scotland will get a share of the tax UK Labour plans to levy on bankers which will go towards health spending.

Mr Murphy's critics on the left will argue - probably in private for now - that there is little in any of his policies which could truly be called socialist.

Supporters of the new Labour leader would reply - again in private for now - that the SNP has 'talked Left while tacking to the centre-right', introducing these very policies which appeal to' middle Scotland'.

In other words, what is sauce for the Scottish National Party goose, is sauce for the Labour gander, in Mr Murphy's view.

As ever with politics and politicians of all parties there is a mixture principle and tactics in the new Scottish Labour leader's approach.

But hit the ground running he certainly has.

Mr Murphy's problem is that, as things stand, the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon have lapped Labour several times on the political running track.He's got a lot of catching up to do. But he knows that and is up for race.

The question is can he keep up the pace?

You can watch my full interview with Jim Murphy on tonight's Representing Border at 10.40 tonight and also on line here