Saturday was a full meeting of Labour's Scottish Policy Forum. This was a first opportunity to debate the large number of submissions to the second stage consultation paper 'Ideas for a Fairer Scotland'.
And there were plenty of ideas in the hundred plus submissions from all sections of civic society. It is one of the unsung benefits of devolution that Scotland has a thriving political culture in which organisations engage with Parliament and the political parties. Our democracy is much stronger as a result.
Underpinning the debates on Saturday was recognition that if Labour wins next year's election it will be facing a very different financial position from the one when we started this policy process. However, it is also important that we don't miss the opportunity to articulate a different economic approach to that of the UK Con-Dem coalition. The UK cuts are much greater than required and are driven by an ideological drive to reduce the role of public services. Labour in Scotland has always rejected that approach and we should clearly set out our values in that election.
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