Scottish Labour set to appoint a new leader as voting ends
The Scottish Labour leadership hopefuls have thanked supporters ahead of tomorrow’s result being announced, with contender Anas Sarwar praising the “positive campaigns”.
One of Mr Sarwar or Monica Lennon will be revealed as the new leader of the party at 11:05am on Saturday, following last month’s resignation of Richard Leonard.
Ms Lennon is known for helping push through landmark legislation to get free period products supplied in Scotland and being softer on a second independence referendum.
Mr Sarwar’s campaign has instead focused on party unity and avoiding any move to soften on indyref2.
Speaking as polls closed on Friday, the close favourite Mr Sarwar said: “Thank you to everyone who supported and got involved in our campaign to rebuild our party.
“Our members help to motivate and inspire me every day.
“I’m proud that both Monica and I ran positive campaigns, which have demonstrated the best of our party.
“Our task now is to demonstrate the best of our party to the country.
“Whatever the final result, I know we'll work together to rebuild Scottish Labour so that we have the opportunity to rebuild Scotland.”
Tweeting as the ballots for the election closed, Ms Lennon thanked both her supporters and opposition.
She wrote: “I want to thank Anas Sarwar and his team for making this a positive debate.
"My own team of volunteers have been awesome.
"I’m grateful to everyone who has taken part and taken an interest.”
The winner will be charged with recovering the image of a party that has struggled at the polls in recent years.
Speaking to BBC in January, both candidates spoke of the need for the party to change to avoid electoral failure in the coming Holyrood election.
Ms Lennon described the party as “a bit broken”, while Mr Sarwar distanced himself from the previous leader, stating “I wasn’t part of the continuity of the last few years.”
Mr Leonard resigned from the role in January, following two attempts to remove him.
Speaking at the time, he said: “It is in the best interests of the party that I step aside as leader of Scottish Labour with immediate effect.
"This was not an easy decision, but after three years I feel it is the right one for me and for the party."
Setting out his own party’s plans, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross called on whoever became the next leader of Scottish Labour to commit to continuing to oppose a second independence referendum and said of both candidates “Whoever wins, they will be half-hearted on the constitution.”
Both Labour candidates accused Mr Ross of treating politics as “a game” during the pandemic and appearing “desperate”. Ms Lennon labelled the appeal to her party as “desperate and attention-seeking nonsense”.