Scoitan Labour
Scoitan Labour is a minor political party operating in the Georgeland state of Scoita. It is considered to be the successor to the now-defunct United Islands Labour Party, which ceased to exist in 2003. The party is a left-of-centre social democratic party with ties to the organised labour movement; however, these ties have become increasingly weak as the Liberal Democrats builds its relationship with trade unions.
The party is led by Sean McMinn, who has been leader of the party in its current form since 2003. McMinn previously led the Scoitan branch of the Labour Party since 1997.
History
- For a history of the Labour Party prior to its 2003 dissolution, see United Islands Labour Party
When the Labour Party conference of September 2003 voted, by a 65%-35% margin, to dissolve the organisation due to insolvency, each individual state branch held its own conference to discuss its own financial and electoral future. Each state branch, for the most part, voted to dissolve; the state branch of Capitalia voted to become part of the Liberal Democrats. The only exception was the Scoitan branch of the Labour Party. When Labour split in 1999, creating the Liberal party, the majority of Scoitan Labour members defected to the Liberals. The Scoitan party had been dominated by the Right faction who were more sympathetic to the Liberals. With federal Labour's dissolution, the Scoitan branch, now dominated solidly by the Left, voted to remain as a political force within Scoita only. The party's leader, Sean McMinn, was endorsed unanimously to continue in that role.
The party's representation in the state legislature had dwindled to a handful by this time. In 1999, when the party split, there were 36 Labour legislators in Scoita's legislature. The split resulted in all but eleven of these moving to the Liberal Party. By the time of the dissolution four years later, only eight legislators continued to sit with the Labour Party and, when Scoitan Labour agreed to continue sitting as a group, three more left the party, giving Scoitan Labour just five sitting legislators.
Federally, the party lost all its representation. Of all of Scoita's federal Labour MPs and Senators, not one opted to remain loyal to Scoitan Labour after the formation of the Liberal party and Liberal Democrats.
The party attempted to rebuild by cultivating links with the trade union movement. However, most large and influential trade unions switched their support to the Liberal Democrats, meaning Scoitan Labour was forced to rely on membership fees and public donations.
At the 2005 state election, Labour lost one seat in the legislature, giving them just four out of 87 seats.
Membership
Scoitan Labour claims a membership of slightly over 4,000. They are organised in local branches, each with a President and Secretary. The structure of the party is identical to the state structure of the former Labour Party. The party has a state Executive, headed by a President and administered by a State Secretary. The current President of the party is Jonathan Cobb; the incumbent Secretary is Ros O'Leary.
Legislators
The party has four representatives in the Scoitan state legislature. As of 2008, these legislators are:
- Sean McMinn: Party leader, spokesman on federal-state relations, education and employment
- Julia Cowan: Deputy leader, spokesman on treasury, trade, justice, security and police
- Nigel Connolly: Spokesman on the environment, climate change and health
- Peter Holmes: Spokesman on industrial relations, business, commerce and consumer affairs.
Future
In 2006, the party's leader, Sean McMinn, joined with Greens leader Greg Downes in calling for a united party of the left, comprising the Greens, Socialists and other parties, including Scoitan Labour. Talks between the Greens and Socialists stalled in 2007, but Downes and McMinn have both agreed to a new round of talks in 2008, with the aim of creating a broad left coalition for future elections.