Labour’s ‘Gang of Four’ may back Brexit

FOUR senior Scottish Labour politicians are considering backing the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union.

Former leader Johann Lamont is understood to be among the ‘Gang of Four’ considering making the Left-wing case for Brexit.

Former leadership candidate Neil Findlay, ex-Deputy Presiding Officer Elaine Smith and former Education Minister Hugh Henry are the other three involved.

It will be humiliating for the party’s avidly pro-EU leader Kezia Dugdale if such an influential group of senior politicians publicly oppose her. But they are unlikely to speak about the referendum in public until after next month’s Holyrood election.

One of the four said: ‘There is a strong Left-wing case for Leave, which hasn’t really been made so far. It is about protecting jobs and pay. The evidence we get on the doorsteps is the result will be a lot closer in Scotland than people think.’

A senior source said Miss Lamont had privately expressed support for leaving the EU: ‘She has said, “What do constituents of Glasgow Pollok get out of being in the EU?”. She is considering supporting Leave because of the trade union argument that it will benefit jobs.’ Brendan Chilton, of Labour Leave and the cross-party Grassroots Out, said: ‘Certainly the leadership of the Labour Party are very pro-EU, but the idea that the Labour Party is united behind staying in, certainly at a grassroots level, is a nonsense. I would say it is 60-40 behind staying in but that is a very significant minority, 40 per cent.

‘We are expecting a number of Labour MSPs to support leaving the EU. It will be a small number but very significant in who they are. The priority at the moment is the Scottish election, where Labour is facing a difficult time. We actually think that if Labour took a stronger line on EU membership we would do a lot of damage to that emerging Ukip vote.’

Miss Smith, who is standing for re-election as MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, said: ‘I can’t do anything other than focus on my own seat right now. It is very frustrating because, having been in the past very much attracted by the Left-wing, trade union case [to Leave], I would have liked to have more time to digest that and look at what my own party’s position is.’

Miss Lamont did not respond to inquiries.

Tory Margaret Mitchell is the only MSP from the last parliament publicly to back the campaign to leave the EU.

‘A strong Left-wing case for Leave’