Yorkshireman Leonard admits to having Auld Enemy leanings

The Labour man vying to be the next First Minister has said he will support the Auld Enemy in a sporting contest with Scotland.

Richard Leonard, a Yorkshireman who was voted in as Scottish Labour leader on Saturday, confirmed he would back England in a football or rugby match between the rival nations.

“If it’s England versus Scotland, I do support England. Every other game I will support either Scotland or England,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I’m not going to try and make up something which would be inaccurate. That’s the honest truth and my wife, who is Scottish, she would bear that out. We watch football together.”

Meanwhile, Mr Leonard has faced criticism for trying to take credit from the Scottish Government for the rescue deal for BiFab. He tweeted on Saturday that the safeguarding of 1,400 jobs at manufacturing yards in Fife and Lewis showed the “Labour movement at its very best”.

Business minster Paul Wheelhouse was among those laying into Mr Leonard, tweeting: “Who knew, when Adam Smith coined the concept of ‘invisible hand’ in economics, he was inspired by Richard Leonard’s (non) delivery of BiFab deal?”

Pressed on Good Morning Scotland yesterday over whether ministers deserve credit for saving BiFab jobs, Mr Leonard said: “Absolutely. If they have put together a package which will protect these jobs then of course it’s something I would welcome.

“What (BiFab) demonstrates is the need not just simply for crisis, reactionary management when businesses are facing the tipping point, it’s about having a forward-looking, pro-active planned industrial policy and that’s something the Scottish Government should be doing.”

If it’s England versus Scotland, I do support England