Leonard will shoulder blame if Labour fails

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has said he will shoulder the blame if his party fares badly at this week’s European elections.

Speaking after a rally in Glasgow of party members and candidates, he was asked who would be at fault if Labour did not return two MEPS to Brussels.

He said: “As leader of the Scottish Labour party I take responsibility for our electoral performance in Scotland. But I’m not contemplating a heavy defeat. There’s a lot to play for over the next three days, and my job is to encourage people to vote Labour and to be confident because Labour is the only party going into these elections standing for hope over fear.”

Asked why Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party was polling higher than Labour in Scotland, Mr Leonard said: “We’ll see what happens on Thursday and when the count comes in on Sunday, but what we’ve been saying is we have three days to stop the Brexit Party making gains in Scotland and across the UK, and history tells us that if a party led by Nigel Farage is electorally popular it will have dire consequences.

“I am extremely conce rn ed that if Far age is successful on Thursday this week, by this time next week the Tory party and Tor y leadership contenders will be adopting his policy of a no deal Brexit.”