LAST month marked 100 years since the first Labour government elected in this country.

There’s much that can be learned from the experience of that government and the Labour ones that followed.

Prior to the Labour Party’s creation at the turn of the 20th century, government tended to pass between the Conservatives and “Whigs” (or Liberals), each representing different wings of the political establishment of the day.

Growing out of the trade unions and socialist organisations of the 19th century, Labour was envisioned as something different from the outset.

Its explicit aim was to provide working class representation in parliament and speak on behalf of working class people and communities to give them a voice.

Many of the early notable figures of the first administration, such as Manny Shinwell and John Wheatley, were leading figures on what was known as Red Clydeside.

That first government, led by Ramsay MacDonald, another Scot, faced an uphill task.

Coming off the back of World War I and without a parliamentary majority, it succeeded in expanding state education, increasing benefits for pensioners and the unemployed, and passing a Housing Act which led to half a million homes being built.

This government only lasted nine months in power, with many radical measures stymied by their liberal coalition partners, and its foreign policies monstered by the right wing press.

Nevertheless, it was an early indication of what could be achieved with political will and, most importantly, under pressure and the weight of expectation of organised working people.

If a Labour government is elected in 2024, and that isn’t taken for granted by any means, it will face many of the same challenges the 1924 government faced, and some on a different scale altogether.

A decade and a half of Tory government has seen public services decimated, foodbank use rocketed and in-work poverty levels reach a record high.

We’ve had the worst wage growth in this country for 200 years, the pound has lost value and austerity has failed on its own terms, with the national debt rising as a percentage of GDP.

That’s without even mentioning the climate emergency.

Britain is crying out for change. The 1924 election demonstrates that even when faced with constraints, the government’s foremost responsibility must be to end injustice and deliver immediate and tangible changes to the lives of ordinary people.

That’s why a Labour government must be bold if it’s to oversee a period of national renewal.

The party has pledged to fund green projects from year one if it wins power, to deliver a new deal for workers – including overturning anti-trade union laws, banning zero-hour contracts and practices like fire and rehire, with legislation being presented within the first 100 days of government.

At Westminster and in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Labour’s task continues to be to fight poverty, redistribute power and rebuild working class communities.

To do that it’s worth looking back at the challenges of the past and learn lessons to help us deliver for the future.