Leonard pledges to follow Corbyn with lurch further Left

JEREMY Corbyn will today claim Scottish Labour will ‘once again bring hope and confidence’ to voters as its new leader Richard Leonard pledges to lurch further to the Left.

The UK party leader is in Glasgow this week to meet Mr Leonard following his election to replace former Scottish party boss Kezia Dugdale.

Mr Leonard has pledged to ‘reshape and recharge’ Scottish Labour in the same way as Mr Corbyn has done for the Westminster party.

Speaking in Glasgow today, Mr Leonard – a Left-wing trade unionist and long-time Corbyn supporter – will announce plans to bring ‘real change’ to the country.

Mr Corbyn is to give his backing to his ‘bold and radical agenda’.

The pair were in Glasgow for a meeting of Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee yesterday.

Mr Corbyn said he was ‘very pleased’ to welcome Central Scotland MSP Mr Leonard to the Scottish leadership post, adding that they have ‘known each other for a very long time’.

Today Mr Corbyn is expected to call on the Westminster and Scottish parties to pull together.

He will say: ‘I know that under Richard’s leadership Scottish Labour will once again bring hope and confidence to the people of Scotland. During this leadership election, Richard laid out a bold and radical agenda for Scottish Labour and showed his determination to bring real change to Scotland. I look forward to working as closely as possible with Richard to change our society for the many, not the few.’

Meanwhile, Mr Leonard will say his election is a ‘turning point’ for Labour north of the Border – and vow to follow Mr Corbyn’s lead by moving even further to the Left. He is expected to say: ‘I was elected Scottish Labour leader promising real change – and it is real change that together we will deliver.’

He will add: ‘A powerful mission can and must always be reshaped and recharged. That’s what Jeremy Corbyn has done so successfully as leader of the party in Westminster.

‘His principle, policies and integrity – along with the energy and passion of hundreds of thousands of new members – has breathed new life into our party. I pledge to do the same here in Scotland.’

Mr Leonard will use his speech today to announce a new policy programme which will be revealed at the party’s Scottish conference in Dundee next year.

He has pledged to carry out a number of policy reviews and establish a commission on tax.

But last night Tory MSP Murdo Fraser told Mr Leonard he should find a new political role model.

He said: ‘Jeremy Corbyn finished second at the last election, but even that result could prove beyond Richard Leonard.

‘Labour continues to measure success by the number of members signed up.

‘However, what real people want is a government that can deliver investment in the NHS, good schooling and competitive taxation.

‘On all three fronts Mr Leonard’s hard-Left vision is lacking and I would encourage him to find a new political role model.’