RICHARD Leonard is facing a rapidly developing mutiny from his own MSPs this morning, with growing calls for him to stand down as Scottish Labour leader.
Glasgow MSP James Kelly has resigned as the party’s justice spokesman, saying Mr Leonard has failed to take the party forward after almost three years in charge.
In a scathing resignation letter, Mr Kelly said: “I have no confidence in your ability to shape the party’s message, strategy and organisation.
“I know that this is a view shared by other parliamentarians, party members and indeed many members of the public.”
North East MSP Jenny Marra and Edinburgh Southern MSP Daniel Johnson have also called for Mr Leonard to quit to help the party’s chances at the Holyrood election.
Mr Leonard said it was "deeply disappointing" that "disgruntled MSPs" who had never supported him were now trying to undermine him, and insisted he would lead Scottish labour into the 2021 election.
While one of his MSP supporters accused the mutineers of “treachery”.
With his Holyrood group in freefall, Mr Leonard is due to face Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions around 1230.
I have resigned from the Scottish Labour Shadow Cabinet. I am saying publicly today what I have said to Richard privately. I sincerely believe that if we are to reverse our fortunes Richard must stand down. pic.twitter.com/8LmK63QMnk
— James Kelly MSP (@JamesKellyLab) September 2, 2020
A recent poll suggested Scottish Labour would lose a quarter of the 24 MSPS it won in 2016, and more than half of voters barely knowing who Mr Leonard was.
Under his leadership, Scottish Labour lost six of its seven MPs at the December general election and both its MEPs at last year's European election.
Ms Marra told the Times that Mr Leonard, a left-wing form trade union organiser who became leader in November 2017 as an ally of Jeremy Corbyn, would lead his party to an electoral “catastrophe” next May if he stayed in charge of Holyrood’s third party.
She said: "If we do not change course now we risk catastrophe. Not just for the party but for all those who believe in and need a fairer, more equal Scotland.
“The reality is that you only have a short window in political leadership to make an impression on the public. After three years the party’s standing is getting worse rather than better.
"No one can say that Richard has not had opportunities to turn the situation around.”
On twitter this morning, Mr Johnson wrote: “It is not easy speaking out but my colleagues Jenny Marra and James Kelly have done the right thing.
“It is time to recognise the situation we are in and for Richard to step down.
“I have attempted to raise my concerns and make constructive suggestions.
“These have gone unheeded and there has been no change in approach or performance.
“Continuing like this will be disastrous for our party and is why I no longer have confidence in Richard Leonard’s leadership.”
It is not easy speaking out but my colleagues Jenny Marra and James Kelly have done the right thing.
— Daniel Johnson MSP (@DJohnsonMSP) September 2, 2020
It is time to recognise the situation we are in and for Richard to step down.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, one of Mr Leonard’s few left-wing supporters at Holyrood, accused those calling for him to resign of trying to promote their own re-election prospects.
He tweeted: “Anyone who believes all the plotting and front stabbing of @LabourRichard is about ANYTHING other than list selections placings is on cloud cuckoo land - it is the ONLY thing that matters to the paranoid plotters - pathetic
“The same people who are demanding @LabourRichard resigns are the ones who told us that Better Together was a huge success story for Labour and that Jim Murphy was the salvation of the Party - they have been repeatedly wrong and are wrong again - it’s treachery with a snarl.”
The same people who are demanding @LabourRichard resigns are the ones who told us that Better Together was a huge success story for Labour and that Jim Murphy was the salvation of the Party - they have been repeatedly wrong and are wrong again - it’s treachery with a snarl.
— Neil Findlay MSP (@NeilFindlay_MSP) September 2, 2020
Former Labour MP Ged Killen, who was one of Mr Leonard's past supporters, also said he should now go.
He tweeted: "Not an easy thing to do, but @JamesKellyLab is right.
"I like Richard Leonard, he is an honest, decent man. Unfortunately, under his leadership things have gone from bad to significantly worst.
"Every party member I speak to is in despair. He must now do the decent thing and resign"
Not an easy thing to do, but @JamesKellyLab is right. I like Richard Leonard, he is an honest, decent man. Unfortunately, under his leadership things have gone from bad to significantly worst. Every party member I speak to is in despair. He must now do the decent thing and resign https://t.co/bW0wfjKCRD
— Ged Killen (@Gedk) September 1, 2020
Mr Kelly's resignation letter confirmed recent newspaper reports that he had asked Mr Leonard to quit three weeks ago, saying: "I outlined my view that to reverse the party's decline it was necessary for you to resign as leader.
"You responded by saying you wished to remain in post as you beleived you could reverse our poor position in the polls.
"In the past three weeks, I have watched your performance closely.
"I see no evidence of a clear plan to reverse the party's fortunes.
"The situiation has been apparent for some time andyou have failed to turn things around.
"I firmly and sincerely believe that it is in the best interests of the party that you stand down as leader."
Highlands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant, the party's finance spokesperson, defended Mr Leonard.
She wrote on Twitter: "Richard Leonard was elected leader of Scottish Labour less than three years ago with the overwhelming backing of members and affiliated unions.
"Yesterday, because of Richard Leonard’s tireless campaigning, the Scottish Government announced that it would support the principal of a National Care Service, a Scottish Labour policy for a decade.
"The crisis facing our country requires bold thinking and it requires a united Scottish Labour Party, under the leadership of Richard Leonard, fighting for the real change we need."
Mr Leonard said: "It is deeply disappointing that disgruntled MSPs who never supported my leadership would choose the day when the Scottish Government finally accepted a Labour policy demand of ten years - for a National Care Service - to try and wage an internal war.
"I am leading Scottish Labour into the 2021 elections on a platform of building a National Care Service, establishing a quality Jobs Guarantee Scheme and reviving Scotland's economy with a Green New Deal.
"If any party representative thinks an internal faction fight is more important than this agenda, they will have to answer to the party members and the voters whom we serve."
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