I’m frustrated the radical change we campaigned for hasn’t happened
SAYS LABOUR LEADERSHIP CHALLENGER RICHARD LEONARD
RICHARD Leonard helped set up the Scottish Parliament – but 20 years after the referendum he fears it hasn’t lived up to its potential.
In an interview with the Record, he claimed an air of complacency has replaced the early optimism of Holyrood.
Now the Jeremy Corbyn ally is determined to become Scottish Labour’s next leader and bring about “radical change”.
The 55-year-old hopes to take over from Kezia Dudgale, who stunned the party by quitting two weeks ago.
Leonard might lack a big public profile – he was first elected just last year – but his party credentials stretch back decades.
In the 90s, Leonard’s role at the Trades Union Congress gave him a steering hand in the creation of the Parliament in which he now represents Central Scotland.
“The whole point about that whole campaign was we wanted a parliament to do things differently, bring about some radical change,” he said.
“The document we worked on at the time was called ‘power for change’ so it was a vision of a very different Scotland, based in the context of Thatcherism, John Major, and ideologically driven Tory government and how we could do something here to act as a bulwark.”
Almost 20 years to the day since the Yes-Yes vote for a parliament with tax-raising powers, is he pleased with what he sees? “Yes and no,” Leonard said. “It’s done some great things like legislation on land reform. Legislation on homelessness was world-leading. The creation of a co-operative development agency was an important step forward.
“But a lot of the potential has not been realised. If I look at areas where there have been powers from the creation of the parliament, whether it’s housing, education and training policy, industrial and manufacturing policy – in those areas we haven’t realised the potential.
“The reasons that drove me to stand was, frankly, a sense of frustration that the hopes and aspirations which led us to campaign for the Scottish Parliament haven’t been realised.”
He accused the SNP of being complacent, arguing for more powers without using what’s already there.
Leonard added: “We’ve got a resilient labour market and our NHS waiting times are better than in England – is that really the limit of our ambitions?
“I think the job of the Labour party is to shatter that complacency and put forward an alternative.”
Leonard is from Yorkshire – the accent is unmistakable – and moved to Scotland in 1980 to study politics and economics at Stirling University.
He stayed, working in trades unions and the Labour Party for years, building up what could be a very powerful support group in this leadership bid.
He’s been party chairman and was the longest serving member of the ruling executive, having only left last year.
Leonard worked for 20 years in the GMB as an industrial organiser. His first tribunal was a landmark victory for a Rosyth dockyard chef who’d been paid a pound an hour less than her male predecessor.
He now lives in Paisley with wife Karen and has two children, a son and stepdaughter. His opponent in the leadership contest is Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar, a former MP and deputy leader of Scottish Labour.
Leonard admitted his political views have gone in and out of fashion but draws parallels with Corbyn – a success story he hopes to emulate.
Policies include an industrial strategy for full employment, increased public ownership and redistributed power.
Leonard is also in tune with UK Labour’s view on Brexit, backing Keir Starmer’s plan for a long-term transition period with Britain in the single market.
Leonard campaigned to remain in the EU but says he respects the UK-wide referendum decision.
He raised eyebrows, however, by ignoring the party whip in a symbolic Holyrood vote against Theresa May’s decision to trigger EU exit negotiations.
“For the SNP this was all about a second independence referendum so that was a reason why I voted against it,” he said.
Predictable questions have also been raised by anonymous party figures about an Englishman leading Scottish Labour.
But Leonard says Scottish politics needs to shake itself out of an obsession with geography.
“All my experience of all these years in Scotland is people are tolerant and welcoming, it shouldn’t be an issue,” he said.
“It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re going to.
“Politics should be about political principles, not geography.
“And one of the problems about politics in recent years is that people have been far too mesmerised with geography and not concentrated enough on political principle, and that’s something I’d aim to change.”
He added: “I see great opportunities for transforming Scotland. The best way to do that is leading the Scottish Labour Party.
“And on the platform of that, to be the next Labour first minister.”
Bid to succeed Kezia Dugdale based on using the Scottish Parliament to make a real difference to people’s lives