IF WE are to kick Theresa May and her cronies out of office at the next available opportunity and elect a progressive Labour government, winning back Scotland has to be central to this fight.

Despite nearly being wiped off the face of the Earth in last year’s Scottish parliament elections and the general election before that, Scottish Labour did make some headway in June.

The party has gone from having just one MP to seven, including Danielle Rowley, Hugh Gaffney and Paul Sweeney, all of which stood on an explicitly left platform.

Campaign for Socialism was quick in pointing out that this resurgence was down to Jeremy Corbyn’s inspiring performance and the party’s anti-austerity programme, and happened in spite of Scottish Labour and not because of them.

This analysis reflected my experience talking to people as well. Many young people who had drifted away from the New Labour project and were inspired by the SNP’s message and its independence campaign support Corbyn and would vote for him.

However, Kezia Dugdale and the party’s Scottish leadership are seen as Blairite, career politicians with extremely close links to the likes of former Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy. Nor do many young Scots appreciate Scottish Labour constantly bashing the SNP and independence when the real enemy is the Tory Party.

As May spends her summer holidays hiding in Italy, Jeremy Corbyn has been visiting communities the length and breadth of Britain, campaigning and winning support in case another snap election is called.

I spoke to people at a Labour party rally at Glasgow University to ask them their thoughts on Corbyn, a Labour government, and winning back Scotland.

Liam McCabe, a Unite member and student union employee from Glasgow

What brings you here tonight?
I’m here to see Jeremy Corbyn speak in the flesh. I saw him speak once before at a trade union rally, but it would be great to see him speak again after so many successes for Labour under his leadership.

And you voted Yes during the independence referendum, why was that?
I voted Yes because — as a young person, as a Scottish person — I was really frustrated with politics. I thought a lot of what was being represented as the views of the British public in Westminster were not my views.

And I was hacked off that so many areas reserved power, such as taxation and foreign policy, weren’t adequately representing my values.

I knew that because of the way British politics is structured, there was very little chance I would ever get to vote for a party that would have any reasonable chance of winning an election at a UK level who could then represent my values.

I saw independence as an opportunity, a means to creating a more socialist, republican Scotland that I didn’t think was possible in the UK.

And you switched your vote to Labour at the last general election. Why did you do that?
I didn’t vote for independence because I was enamoured with throwing up an extra border; I saw it as a means to an end.
I switched my vote back to Labour because of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and the incredibly left-wing and inspiring manifesto put before the British public.

It actually gave young working-class people, regardless of where they were in the UK, something to look to that would actually improve their material conditions.

I thought: “I could choose not to vote for this because the constitutional debate still hangs about Scotland quite strongly, but I’m not going to choose not to vote for the most left-wing manifesto I may ever get to vote for in my life.” So I just went for it and I haven’t regretted it for a minute.

Do you think Corbyn can win back Scotland?
If you had asked me that a while ago, I would have said no. But after his performance in the snap general election I have to say yes.

Because of the scale of the SNP’s victory in 2015, I thought it would take a while to alter that trajectory. But the SNP are starting to come down from a decade-long high in Scottish politics.

I think what’s been shown is that Scotland’s left-wing tradition is a much stronger weight on our tendencies as a public than its recent flirtation with the SNP and civic nationalism.

I do believe if there were another election in the next few years, we’d see more seats being won back by Scottish Labour.

Paige Morris, college student from Largs

What made you decide to come and see Corbyn tonight?
I like the change that he stands for, encouraging young people to be more politically active, improving workers’ rights, his policies are genuinely left and not just Blairite views.

What got you into politics?
I was brought up in a working-class family and Labour were who my family voted for.

As I got older and read more and gained an understanding of socialism, I stayed left and I liked what it stood for.

I think there’s a problem with the media because everyone’s drip fed bias. They don’t actually look into it more than the headlines. They just think: “oh that’s bad” and write it off. But I think people are now forced to read more into it.

Do you think people can see the media bias against Corbyn?
Yes, maybe not the older generation but the younger generation can and that’s what swung it.

I think people are more active on social media and it’s impossible for them not to see articles people are sharing. They then question their beliefs and what side they want to be on.

Tom Simpson, Unite Community branch secretary for the West of Scotland

Why are you supporting Corbyn tonight?
I’m delighted he’s come to Glasgow, especially visiting constituencies lost to the SNP.

I think his message will unite people. I think we can look forward to a Labour government that will enact positive policies and investment which will support people to find work.

Do you think Corbyn can win Scottish people back?
I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. If you look at the challenges he’s overcome — people in his own party have tried to undermine him — he’s obviously got a backbone made of steel, and added to that he’s the most genuine individual.

So people in Scotland recognise that and I think, along with his visit, he’ll pick up votes. The next election can’t be far away.

Do you think it’ll be difficult for Labour to keep the momentum up?
It’s important we keep it up. But that that doesn’t happen by accident. It requires people, particularly those on the left and in the trade union movement to get together around the Labour Party and the Morning Star.

As long as people are active in communities, the Corbyn campaign will reap the benefits of that.

Do you think there’s been a change in Scotland since Corbyn has lead the Labour Party?
Yes, I think there’s been a sea change in attitudes. I think people lost confidence in Labour to be frank. But Corbyn’s been very honest, and I think people trust him when he says what he’ll do in government.

He and others have been on the streets supporting industrial disputes so I think they’ve got the confidence of working people, they’re not phony politicians.