Richard Leonard MSP, Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, has been forced to abandon plans to hold a conference on whether the party should support a second independence referendum.
Labour’s ruling executive has forced him to replace the conference with an away day to discuss ‘federalism,’ leading to accusations that Mr Leonard is the party’s leader in name only.
Brian Roy, former General Secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland said:
“This is another blow to Richard’s leadership. I cannot recall a executive committee meeting where a leader’s position on such a crucial issue was overturned.”
Kenneth Gibson MSP added:
“It seems that Richard Leonard is only leading in name only, with his tenuous authority weakened further.
“Whilst some MSPs respect the result of the UK general election in Scotland and understand that the SNP secured a mandate to choose its own future, diehard unionists in the ‘branch office’ north of the border won the day, even as 80,000 people marched for independence in Glasgow.
“Labour in Scotland is mired in confusion, without direction and is likely to continue its decline into increasing irrelevance unless it backs Scotland’s right to choose, over its old ‘Better Together’ Tory allies.”
ENDS
