Question mark over Labour’s Leonard
Richard Leonard is facing renewed questions over his future as Scottish Labour leader after the sudden departure of Scots Conservatives leader Jackson Carlaw last week.
According to a YouGov opinion poll, he has less recognition with voters than Mr Carlaw with 56% not knowing who he is after three years leading Labour.
Mr Leonard is his party’s fifth leader in 12 years and leading polling expert professor Sir John Curtice said: “At least Jackson Carlaw could argue he wasn’t in the job very long and half of it was when politics was basically suspended. Richard Leonard has been leader for nearly three years.
“Nice man but he just doesn’t make an impression on the public. A large ‘don’t know’ after such a long time raises questions about whether he is the most effective vehicle for communicating whatever message Labour wishes to communicate. It’s nothing to do with his politics. It’s just to do with his ability to make an impression on the public.”
Prof Curtice said a move against Mr Leonard would be “toxic” for the party.
“Keir Starmer has been pretty ruthless so far but it would be potentially quite toxic if there was seen to move against the elected leader of the Scottish party.”
“It might be a reasonable supposition that Sir Keir would not be desperately crying if Richard Leonard were to stand down, but one suspects he is not in a position to engineer without causing a lot of potential trouble.”
The YouGov poll of 1,134 Scottish adults showed 56% had no impression of Mr Leonard, compared to 48% for Mr Carlaw.
Mr Leonard said: “While Jackson Carlaw – whose party lined up with the SNP to block better conditions for frontline carers a few weeks ago – may have resigned after a rough day in the chamber, I am leading Scottish Labour into next year’s election on a platform of building a National Care Service, worthy of the name.”