Scotland’s only Labour MP set to enter the race to be deputy leader
SCOTS MP IAN Murray is set to enter the race for the Labour deputy leadership.
The MP for Edinburgh South is once again the sole Scottish Labour representative in the House of Commons after the Tory and SNP landslides; a repeat of the position following the 2017 General Election.
Mr Murray, who saw off a bid to deselect him ahead of the election, won a majority of 11,095, down from the previous poll when it was 15,514. However, his six Labour colleagues in Scotland were all unable to hold on to their seats.
The 43-year-old has been in contact with colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party and in the wider party to seek their opinion about the possibility of him standing to succeed Tom Watson as deputy leader.
Sources close to the MP said he had had a very positive response with nominations for his candidacy already coming in. “He’s getting lots of support,” said one source. “Given the level of backing he is already getting, he is likely to stand,” he added.
So far, no-one has declared a candidacy for the deputy leadership. Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, and Dawn Butler, the shadow secretary for women and equalities, are thought to be likely contenders.
Mr Murray has been an arch critic of Jeremy Corbyn. Indeed, rather than have the party’s sole Scottish MP as the shadow Scottish secretary, the leader opted to fill the role with Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd, who also has the job of shadow Northern Ireland secretary.
But the Edinburgh MP believes the party needs a “strong Scottish anchor” to lead its revival north of the Border and to underscore that Labour takes Scotland seriously.
Once again at the election Labour was caught between the Tories defending the Union and the SNP demanding a new poll on independence. Mr Corbyn’s position on the constitutional issue was regarded as equivocal, changing emphasis at various points in the election campaign.
Mr Murray recently said: “The Labour Party has ducked this issue for too long. English nationalism from the Tories and Scottish nationalism from the SNP are squeezing the Labour Party and we must stop it.”
A prominent Remainer, the Scot has urged his party to “grasp the nettle of major constitutional reform”.
He has made clear he would, if he became deputy leader, take personal responsibility for setting up a Uk-wide constitutional convention, which would consider “how we govern the UK from the former coalfield town and metropolitan city regions to the rural areas and our four nations”.
This throws up the possibility of support for federalism, more devolution to England and proportional representation.
In the aftermath of Labour’s poll defeat, its worst since 1935, Mr Murray wrote in The Herald how the result was owned “entirely and eternally” by Mr Corbyn and his team.
“Their legacy is a huge Conservative majority, a Union in intensive care, and a Brexit nobody wanted. I’ve been criticised for being honest but I won’t stay quiet as the existence of my party is at stake.”
He warned that Labour was on “life support” but could be saved; the greatest danger, he argued, would be for his party to try to carry on with more of the same view but with a different face and voice.
The MP called on his party to be principled and honest; to show what it stood for. He said: “It is in the national interest to try and stop Brexit so we should have always argued for that. It is in the Scottish national interest to stop a second independence referendum so we should also always argue for that.
“On these huge issues, if you stand in the middle of Constitution Street you are likely to get hit by a car.”
While Mr Murray might get strong support from the Parliamentary Labour Party, it is ultimately the party membership which decides and as long as it remains firmly Corbynite it is hard to see how the Scot could succeed in an ambition to be deputy leader. Candidates standing for either the leadership of the deputy leadership need the support of 22 MPS/MEPS as well as five per cent of local parties or trade union affiliates.
Labour’s ruling executive will meet on Monday to set out the leadership contest rules with the expectation the starting gun will be fired next Tuesday.
It is also expected that the contest to find a replacement for Lesley Laird – who lost her Kirkcaldy seat – as deputy Scottish leader will run in parallel to the UK race. Results are due in March.
Given the level of backing he is already getting, he is likely to stand