Kezia Dugdale quits as Scottish Labour leader
●Denies decision followed pressure from supporters of Jeremy Corbyn
Kezia Dugdale has resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
She said it was time to “pass on the baton” to someone else and that a new leader was needed with “fresh energy, drive and a new mandate”.
Her resignation takes immediate effect. Ms Dugdale’s deputy, Alex Rowley, will serve as acting leader – unless he decides to resign so that he can bid for the party leadership.
Insisting that the Scottish party was in a better state than it was when she took over in August 2015, Ms Dugdale rejected suggestions that her decision was the result of pressure from supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, the party’s UK leader. She said she was not leaving in order to avoid a possible leadership challenge from a more leftwing rival, adding that she fully supports Mr Corbyn and expects him to become Prime Minister.
In her resignation letter, Ms Dugdale also referred to the death this
year of Gordon Aikman, a Labour Party activist who died at the age of 31 after a battle with motor neurone disease.
She said: “I’d like to thank my shadow cabinet for their efforts, and in particular Iain Gray for his unflinching love and support and James Kelly for the thankless but crucial job he does so well as our business manager.
“Earlier this year I lost a dear friend who taught me a lot about how to live.
“His terminal illness forced him to identify what he really wanted from life, how to make the most of it and how to make a difference.
“He taught me how precious and short life was and never to waste a moment. Being leader has always been a difficult but fulfilling challenge.
“One that until now I have enjoyed, driven by a clear guiding purpose and goals, many of which I have achieved.”
In her letter, Ms Dugdale listed delivering “real autonomy” for the Scottish Labour party and advancing the call for federalism “across the UK” as highlights of her time as leader.
She said: “Emerging from the challenging times following the 2014 referendum, and the 2015 UK election, we now have a solid platform on which to build towards success, and government.
“I have given the task of achieving this all that I have. But with nearly four years now until the next Scottish Parliament elections, I am convinced that the party needs a new leader with fresh energy, drive and a new mandate to take the party into that contest.”