When New Labour came to power, we got a Right-wing Conservative government. I came to realise that voting Labour wasn't in Scotland's interests any more. Any doubt I had about that was cast aside for ever when I saw Gordon Brown cosying up to Margaret Thatcher in Downing Street.

The quote by Jimmy Reid highlights his disillusionment with the political direction of the Labour Party after it came to power in the 1990s under the leadership of Tony Blair. Reid, a prominent Scottish trade unionist and socialist, was critical of the New Labour movement, which he felt had become too aligned with Right-wing and Conservative policies. His statement suggests that the party had abandoned its traditional values of socialism and working-class representation, shifting towards more centrist or even conservative ideologies.

Reid’s frustration deepened when he saw Gordon Brown, who succeeded Blair as Prime Minister, meeting with and showing respect to Margaret Thatcher, a figure he regarded as the embodiment of Conservatism. Thatcher, as the leader of the Conservative Party, was associated with policies that Reid viewed as harmful to the working class, especially in Scotland. This meeting in Downing Street was a turning point for Reid, solidifying his belief that the Labour Party was no longer in the best interest of Scotland and its people.

The quote reflects Reid’s sense of betrayal by a party he had once supported and trusted. For him, the Labour Party’s alignment with Thatcherite policies represented a shift away from its roots, and it led him to question the efficacy of voting for a party that no longer served the interests of the Scottish people. This was especially poignant in the context of Scotland's political and economic landscape, where many felt the Labour Party should have been a strong advocate for local autonomy and working-class rights.

Ultimately, Reid’s words serve as a critique of the changing dynamics within the Labour Party, signaling a move away from its socialist roots towards a more centrist or even neoliberal stance. His disillusionment reflects the broader tension within British politics during that period, where traditional party lines were increasingly blurred, and voters like Reid found it difficult to reconcile their values with the direction in which political parties were heading.