Leonard insists he won’t step down before Holyrood elections next year

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has said he will not step down ahead of the 2021 Holyrood elections, even though polls show his party is in a worse position than it was in 2016.

Mr Leonard said voters value “consistency” and “stability” and said Labour would oppose a second independence referendum at the elections.

In 2016, Labour finished third in the list vote for the Scottish Parliament behind the Scottish Conservatives and second in the constituency vote, beating the Tories by 0.6 per cent.

The most recent polls show Labour languishing in third place, five points behind its 2016 constituency result and three points behind its list results from that election.

Mr Leonard told ITV Border: “Going into next year’s elections, we are clearly saying that we are opposed to a second independence referendum.

“The entire focus and dedication of the next Scottish Parliament and the next Scottish Government should be on rebuilding the economy, should be revitalising our public services, should be looking at how we can build a better care system which has been exposed as being fragmented and weak.

These are the priorities for the next five years – it’s not independence, it’s not constitutional change – and we should not get bogged down in a debate for the next five years, a wrangle between an SNP and Tory administration.

Asked if clear and growing support for independence meant it was time for him to follow Jackson Carlaw and resign, he said: “No, it’s not. I mean, I was elected less than three years ago with a strong mandate.

“I think that people are looking for consistency, they are looking for stability.”