Douglas Alexander, appointed Scotland Secretary in a major cabinet reshuffle, said Labour can "disprove the critics and cynics" and regain ground in Scotland ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.
The reshuffle, triggered by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, saw Alexander replace Ian Murray, Scotland Labour's longest-serving MP and a close ally of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Murray was later appointed late on Saturday night to junior ministerial roles in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, a move that drew criticism from some senior Labour figures.
Speaking on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show, Alexander said the party could recover its support in Scotland with "hard work, humility and listening to people," accusing the SNP-led Scottish government of failing public services. He pointed to Labour's comeback in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as evidence the party could overturn negative coverage and polling if it focused on grassroots campaigning.
"We will come back in Scotland the way that we came back in Hamilton — by hard work, by humility, by listening to people, doing the work on the ground, making the arguments directly to the public," Alexander said. He added that he believed "the Scottish people are way more ambitious than the Scottish government today." Alexander also serves as co-chair of Scottish Labour's Holyrood election campaign.
The reshuffle has exposed tensions within Labour in Scotland. Some senior party figures described Murray's initial sacking as "disgraceful" and a "real loss," and Murray himself expressed disappointment. The rapid reappointment to junior roles did little to quell criticism among party activists who warned the changes risked creating further instability ahead of the Scottish parliament contest.
Opposition parties seized on the reshuffle. The SNP said the moves illustrated Westminster chaos and argued that Scotland would be better off independent. Graham Leadbitter, the SNP MP for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, said Murray had not brought a transformative vision for Scotland and was skeptical about Alexander's track record, noting Alexander's past campaigning against independence in 2014.
"I am really not holding out much hope for the future of the Scotland Office in terms of delivering a positive agenda for Scotland," Leadbitter said, adding that the SNP would continue to promote what it described as its positive record on devolved matters.
Scottish Conservatives were also critical. Deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said Labour was in "complete meltdown" and accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of presiding over a government in "chaos." She described the reallocation of Murray to junior roles as symptomatic of "weakness" and said the appointment of Alexander was "uninspiring."
Labour currently trails in polls both in Scotland and across the UK, raising concerns in party circles about the prospect of losing ground at Holyrood. Political commentators and some within Labour have warned that a poor showing in next year’s devolved election, particularly if the SNP were to secure a majority, could intensify pressure for a second independence referendum and pose political risks for party leadership at Westminster.
Alexander sought to frame his appointment as an opportunity to reset the party’s message in Scotland and to focus on practical service delivery. He thanked Murray for his service to Scottish Labour and said the party owed him "an immense debt of gratitude." He urged activists to rally around the campaign ahead of next May’s vote and emphasised a return to local campaigning and engagement with voters.
The timing of the reshuffle and the manner of Murray's reassignment have sharpened scrutiny of Labour's internal cohesion in Scotland. Party officials have signalled a determination to stabilise the campaign ahead of the Holyrood contest, while opponents have used the episode to highlight what they described as Westminster dysfunction.
With less than a year until the Scottish parliament election, the party's ability to translate Alexander's pledge into improved polling and votes will be closely watched. Labour faces the dual challenge of contesting the SNP on devolved issues while persuading voters across the UK that it can provide stable government at Westminster. The coming months are likely to test whether the reshuffle marks a fresh start for Labour in Scotland or further unsettles a party already navigating difficult political terrain.