Feumaidh na Làbaraich gluasad air barrachd cumhachdan dha Alba

Cha robh càil a dhùil aca ris. Dh’fhàs iad cho eòlach air soirbheachas ‘s nach do thuig iad gum faodadh a chaochladh a thighinn gu math luath. Ach, mar is àrd a sgeitheas ‘s ann is motha a’ bhuille nuair a thig thu air ais gu talamh.

Tha fhios gun robh e gu math mì-chofhurtail dha gu leòr, taobh a-staigh a’ phàrtaidh fiù ‘s, a bhith faicinn Nicola Sturgeon air an telebhisein oidhche an taghaidh agus mòran a’ cur a’ choire oirre airson mar a tha am pàrtaidh air tuiteam cho fada sios.

A bharrachd air càil eile, tha e neònach gum biodh thu cho deònach nochdadh air beulaibh na milleanan de dhaoine agus casaidean meàrla oifigeal gan togail an aghaidh an duine iad a-thaobh a bhith laimhseachadh airgead a’ phàrtaidh a bha thu fhèin os cionn.

Nach iongantach, nuair a thig e gu poileataigs, cho luath ‘s tha cuibhle an fhortain a’ tionndadh agus an daimh a bha eadar an SNP agus sluagh na h-Alba air falbh.

Ach mar a tha na cunntasan sluaigh a’ sealltainn, tha taic làidir ann fhathast airson neo-eisimleachd agus an dràsta ‘s e an SNP an cothrom as fheàrr sin a thoirt beò.

Tha am pàrtaidh eile a tha a’ cur taic ri sin, am pàrtaidh Albannach, a’ coimhead ro rag agus ro choltach ri gnothaich nach eil ann ach airson faoineas Salmond a shàsachadh.

Ach, tha bunait ann fhathast le neo-eisimleachd agus bheir sin dòchas dhan SNP gum faigh iad air an slighe a lorg air ais. Ach, cha bhith e furasta.

Tha a’ mhòr chuid de dhaoine ag aithneachadh nach eil neo-eisimleachd faisg, ach cha toir e fada gus an tòisich daoine a’ tionnadadh an aghaidh a’ phàrtaidh Làbarach.

Bidh daoine an uairsin a’ coimhead airson freagairtean ùra agus ma gheibh an SNP air iad fhèin a chur air stèidh chinntiche a-rithist, far an urrainn daoine beagan earbsa a chur unnta, gheibh iad air brath a ghabhail air an cothrom sin. Ach, ‘s e “ach” mòr a th’ann.

Mar dhearbhadh air mar a tha cùisean air atharrachadh, ‘s ann aig a’ Phàrtaidh Làbarach a tha lamh an uachdar a-nis air a’ bhun-reachd - ma laimhsicheas iad ceart e.

Tha mòran eile mun coinneimh, ach son Alba feumaidh iad na molaidhean aig Gordan Mac Ille Dhuinn air tuilleadh cumhachdan dha Pàrlamaid na h-Alba a ghluasad air adhart, agus chan eil càil a mhath cus leisg a bhith mu dhedhinn.

Chan fhada gu taghaidhean Holyrood, ann an 2026, agus ma gheibh iad air sealltainn sna mìosan ri thighinn g’eil iad dha-riribh airson cothroman is cumhachdan ùra a thoirt dha Alba, ‘s e slighe dhuilich air ais a bhios ann dhan SNP.

(Gu mì-fhortanach ‘s e seo an colbh Gàidhlig bho dheireadh a nochdas anns An t-Albannach. Ach, tha colbh Gàidhlig fhathast ri fhaighinn gach seachdain ann an Gasaet Steòrnabhaigh)

English-language version:

The sense of panic emerging in the SNP ranks after last week’s election collapse is understandable, as the internal recriminations continue and as former party grandees line up to ensure there is no respite in the blood-letting blame game.

They had not predicted this. Riding high on the back of generational success, they had come to believe in their own invincibility, their inherent right to win elections. However as any observer of politics will tell you (just ask Scottish Labour) that’s the point at which a painful fall follows.

The sight of Nicola Sturgeon taking to the airwaves to pontificate on election night would have been stomach churning for some, including plenty in the SNP, with many laying the blame for the party’s downfall at her door.

Apart from anything else, it takes some brass neck to put yourself out there when your husband has been charged with embezzling funds from the party you led for so long. Innocent ’til proven guilty and all that, but it certainly shows an impressive rhino hind. But just as quickly as political fortunes can wane, so can they come back.

The Scottish public have clearly fallen out of love with the SNP, Operation Branchform being just one reason. But as the polls show, support for independence remains high and right now the party is still the vehicle best-placed to drive that agenda forward and to try and make it happen. The Alba party has too much of the lunatic fringe element to it; too much of a Salmond vanity project.

But that independence-supporting foundation gives the SNP real hope that recovery is possible, a base which, in theory, can be re-captured. However, it is a big if. Most people now accept that independence is off the table for the immediate future, but it won’t take long for cynicism towards Labour to bed in, particularly given the challenges they face. And at that point, the search for new answers will emerge and a re-energised SNP (if that’s possible) would be best placed to take advantage.

But the truth is, it’s now out of their hands. In a demonstration of just how much fortunes have reversed, It’s actually Labour now who hold the constitutional ace up their sleeve. They just need to play it right. The new Cabinet has many formidable challenges ahead, but for Scotland they need to move forward on the reform proposals of Gordon Brown’s “Our Scottish Future” to give more powers to the Scottish Parliament.

The Holyrood elections are just round the corner, in 2026, and if Labour can demonstrate in the months ahead that they are committed to a stronger devolved settlement for Scotland – a move closer to devo max – the SNP might just find the recovery road to relevance being blocked off.