SCOTTISH Labour's governing body is considering its own set of internal party changes amid concerns about outgoing leader Jim Murphy's high-profile review.

 

The party will draft the rules for the upcoming leadership contest and consider organisational changes, rather than allow Murphy a free-hand.

A senior source on the Executive of Scottish Labour said: "Yesterday's man doesn't get to determine the future."

In another development, leadership contender Ken Macintosh accused the "party machine" of "bullying" and "intimidating" his backers into withdrawing their support for him.

On Murphy's watch, the party recorded its worst general election result in nearly a century.

Not only did Labour lose 39 of its 40 seats, but the leader lost his own East Renfrewshire constituency.

Murphy narrowly won a vote of no-confidence from Scottish Labour's Executive, but quit within minutes of his victory.

The former MP said he would walk away next month after tabling a "comprehensive report" on internal party reform.

He said he intended: "A plan for reshaping the Scottish Labour Party, using all of our talents, widening our membership and ensuring the best possible range of talents from our membership and beyond. And above all, defending the rights of Labour party members and putting them back at the heart of our organisation."

He added: "We should have a system of one member one vote [OMOV] as the UK party has, for the election of leaders."

As well as backing OMOV, Murphy was expected to support selection changes that give members the right to top the regional Lists for Holyrood.

Trade union sources, however, fear plans to water down their role in the party by reducing their influence on the Executive and at the party conference.

Murphy's lead role in the review has angered MSPs, members of the Executive and senior activists.

They believe any proposals will be put together by a tight-knit group of Murphy allies with little input from alternative voices.

A senior party source added: "People are anxious that Jim may use the review to settle scores and advance the interests of his supporters."

Against this backdrop, two sub-committees of the party Executive are now in control of aspects of internal reform, which insiders said should be read as re-establishing democratic control over the process.

It is understood a constitutional working group was tasked with devising the rules for the leadership contest, which is expected to pit deputy leader Kezia Dugdale against Eastwood MSP Ken Macintosh.

The committee will make a judgement on OMOV, consider whether registered and affiliated party supporters should get a vote, and set the threshold of support required to be a candidate.

In last year's contest, aspiring candidates needed the signatures of 12.5% of parliamentarians, while the level for the UK contest is 15%.

Another sub-group will look at the lessons to be learnt from the general election defeat from an organisational point of view.

According to senior Scottish Labour sources, the Executive's front-seat role means the scope for Murphy to get ownership of the reform agenda is limited.

Although he is expected to back an end to 'protected places' for List MSPs, there is widespread support throughout the party for this change anyway.

Any attempt at altering the make-up of the Executive could require a vote at the next party conference.

In an article last week, respected MSP Duncan McNeil wrote: "He [Murphy] cannot now be the person to shape and dictate what the party does next. His paper on OMOV will be welcome but it is very much a paper sparked by our internal debates. It plays to historic arguments within ourselves, not the lives of the people outside."

In a statement on Friday to announce her candidacy, Dugdale stated that the contest rules would be decided by the party's governing body.

"I will formally launch my campaign next month when the Scottish Executive Committee sets out the rules and timetable for the leadership contest."

The developments mean there are two overlapping pieces of work: Murphy's report, and the areas looked at by the Executive.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "The party reform report will be presented to the SEC by Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour Leader. There will be consultation and input from all party members but the final report and recommendations will be from Jim."

Meanwhile, Macintosh has criticised the "party machine" for allegedly trying to persuade his supporters against backing him.

The MSP said yesterday: "The party machine has turned on them. They are being put under incredible pressure to withdraw their support. They are being bullied, they are being intimidated, they are being pressurised not to support me so we don't have a contest."

Asked who the "party machine" was, he said: "People who want power and positions and influence."

His comments came as Dugdale secured the backing of more than 50% of Labour MSPs within twenty-four hours of announcing her candidacy.

The support could make it difficult for Macintosh to get the required number of signatures to enter the contest.

However, a source close to the MSP said he was "confident" of meeting the threshold.

Sandra White, SNP MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, said: "Jim Murphy was a divisive, Blairite politician who made many enemies in his own party, and that is now clear for all to see.

"This is yet another damaging episode in the self inflicted demise of the Labour Party in Scotland. It underlines that, while Labour fight among themselves north and south of the border, the SNP are the real and effective opposition to the Tory government at Westminster."