Leonard fails to turn up for key meeting

PRESSURE is growing on Scottish Labour’s under-fire leader after he failed to show up for the first meeting of his MSPs since a major rebellion was launched.

Richard Leonard had been expected to give a ‘leader’s report’ at Holyrood yesterday.

But MSPs were surprised by his absence – and he could face a new fight for his job this weekend when his party’s Scottish executive committee meets.

Two Scottish Labour rebels asked the party’s general secretary yesterday about the rules for a leadership contest.

A letter from James Kelly, who resigned from the party’s front bench last week, and Daniel Johnson, asks for clarity about whether and how a leadership challenge can take place. The

‘Five members willing to sign’

pair reportedly claim to have the support of three other MSPs who would back plans to trigger a leadership election.

Scottish Labour has suggested there is no procedure in place for challenging a sitting leader but Mr Kelly and Mr Johnson said: ‘We believe this is an inaccurate interpretation of the rules.’

They claim the leader can be challenged with the agreement of 20 per cent of the parliamentary party, adding: ‘Our understanding is that five signatures is sufficient to initiate a challenge. We have five members willing to sign such a challenge.’

However, Scottish Labour general secretary Michael Sharpe said he was ‘not aware of any such precedent on this issue’ for the Scottish party.

It is understood that Mr Leonard was yesterday at a meeting of the party’s UK national executive committee.