IT was meant to be Scottish Labour’s big day, the announcement of a new leader who would set out a fresh vision in a bid to rebuild support north of the Border.
But instead Richard Leonard spent much of his first couple of days in the top job dealing with a crisis about his predecessor.
That Leonard was in the dark about Kezia Dugdale’s decision to appear on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! suggests fairly low levels of trust at senior levels in the party.
“I awoke, as many other people did this morning, to the news this morning that Kezia was going on this programme and I think it is going to be something that the group will have to consider over the next few days, and I think we will consider it,” he told journalists on Saturday.
Pressed if Dugdale should be suspended, he replied: “That’s not my initial reaction, no. But I think it is something we should look at.”
He added: “I don’t know the circumstances of Kezia’s decision so I think I will leave it. I will give it due consideration in the group over the next few days.”
UK party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “It’s her choice to go on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! I don’t think it’s appropriate to suspend someone from the party for doing that, that’s her choice.”
Dr Neil McGarvey, of the Department of Politics at Strathclyde University, said Dugdale’s decision suggested the former leader needed a break from “the brutality” of Labour party internal politics.
“I can’t help but have a bit of empathy for Kezia Dugdale. I think it’s the sheer brutality of internal Labour politics and she’s just thought ‘I’m getting out of here’!” he said.
“She’s maybe in her own mind decided that politics is no longer for her and she’s looking for a way out. And to be honest, I know, it doesn’t look good, but on a personal level I would struggle to criticise her for doing this.”
On Leonard’s election as leader, McGarvey said it would allow the party across the UK to present a more unified message than if Sarwar had been elected.
“Each side of the party will now be singing from the same hymn sheet, there will be much more consistency north and south of the Border,” he said, adding that Scottish Labour would quickly need to come up with its own distinct identity rather than “hanging onto the coat tails of Corbyn.”
McGarvey said the best strategy in terms of winning back support from former Labour voters who had moved over to the SNP, was to outflank the SNP with left-wing policies.
He did not believe Leonard’s election as leader would be giving Nicola Sturgeon any sleepless nights.
“Richard Leonard is no doubt talking about becoming First Minister, but I think that is a very long shot indeed – in fact I would say it’s not going to happen,” he said. “For that to happen he would have to move the party from third into first place and that’s going to be very difficult. What I could see happen, is that under him Labour could well overtake the Tories and move into second place again – especially if Ruth Davidson heads off to Westminster.”
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