LABOUR IN CRISIS

BY DAVID CLEGG Political Editor SCOTTISH Labour was tearing itself apart last night as senior figures fought over how to respond to seven MPs quitting the party.

Former leader Kezia Dugdale said it was a “very sad day” and urged Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters to reach out and attempt to heal divisions in the wake of the split.

But current Scottish leader Richard Leonard – a close ally of Corbyn – showed little sympathy and accused the quitters of letting the Tories “off the hook”.

The contrasting responses underlined that Labour is just as divided in Scotland as it is in the rest of the UK over issues including Brexit and anti-Semitism.

Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray, one of Corbyn’s fiercest critics, said the hard-left leader had overseen “a culture of bullying and intolerance where his own MPs feel unwelcome”.

But Lothians MSP Neil Findlay, who ran Corbyn’s leadership campaign north of the Border, insisted voters would not forgive the rebels and their move would only help “shore up the Tories”. Labour MPs stood on in the 2017 general election was and remains a unifying vision. It saw the party make advances, including starting to win back seats in Scotland.

“When young people are fighting for action on climate change, it is time to come together for the future, not divide. The Tory Party’s failed solutions represent a dead end. We must do nothing to let them off the hook.

Findlay, who is considered the most influential pro-Corbyn figure in Scotland, tweeted: “It is very disappointing to see seven Labour MPs repeat the mistake of the SDP and shore up the Tories – this will be looked on very badly by Labour voters.”