SCOTTISH Labour MSP Jackie Baillie is the runaway favourite to become the party's next deputy leader - but who is she and what is she all about?
The pro-Union MSP for Dumbarton, who has been a vocal opponent of calls for indyref2 and previously sat on Better Together's board of directors, won 60 nominations from party members last month.
Her only other opponent is councillor Matt Kerr, who received 33 nominations. Last week it was announced that Kerr would face disciplinary action from the party, though, when he broke the party whip at a Glasgow City Council Budget vote, stating he could not support any of the proposals.
Baillie, 56, made headlines in 2017 when a Scottish Labour press officer branded her comments on the party's leadership election "pish".
The MSP, who supported Anas Sarwar in the election, had claimed there was "evidence of a plot going on behind the scenes" among left-wing figures in the party to oust former leader Kezia Dugdale.
Responding to the claims, press officer Stephen Low sent an email to a newspaper on behalf of Richard Leonard's campaign referring to the “latest Jackie Baillie pish".
READ MORE: 'Latest Jackie Baillie pish' email claims its first Scottish Labour scalp
The former BBC journalist was not involved with Leonard's campaign from then on.
Baillie also had an "embarrassing blunder" (according to SNP depute leader Keith Brown) back in 2018 when she accused outsourcing firm Capita of being "on the ropes" in the wake of the Carillion collapse.
Brown warned Labour had got their "numbers wrong and should withdraw their claims".
READ MORE: Scottish Labour slammed after 'embarrassing blunder' by Jackie Baillie
Just last week Baillie, who has been backed by former PM Gordon Brown, found herself in hot water after branding the Scottish Government "rotten" and "arrogant" in a speech to members.
The deputy leadership position became vacant when Lesley Laird lost her Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat to pro-independence MP Neale Hanvey in December's General Election.
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