SHADOW Chancellor Anneliese Dodds has stressed that Sir Keir Starmer is “absolutely determined” to see Labour work closely with the Scottish party – but warned it was up to members north of the border to make any decision over Richard Leonard’s future.
Ms Dodds was speaking during a visit to Edinburgh to see how cultural venues have been coping with the economic impact of the pandemic.
Mr Leonard has come under pressure as Scottish Labour leader – compounded by a lacklustre performance at First Minister’s Questions, after which a party insider told The Herald that he was “dragging the party down with him”.
READ MORE: Labour's Richard Leonard 'dragging the party down with him' after FMQs 'ineptitude'
Mr Leonard was left red-faced when he called for Ms Sturgeon to press the UK Government to extend the furlough scheme and commit to a “quality jobs guarantee scheme” - both of which the First Minister has already done – before he was labelled "Boris Johnsons cheerleader" by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
He has insisted that he has no intention of standing down as leader ahead of next year’s Holyrood election – stressing that when he secured the job, he received “a strong mandate from the members to lead the party into next year's election”.
The Scottish Conservatives have changed their leader ahead of May's poll.
Mr Leonard has also indicated that Scottish Labour will campaign against a second independence referendum.
Ms Dodds said: “Richard Leonard was elected three years ago with a significant majority of Labour party members in Scotland – I've worked a lot with him since then.
“I think he’s been working very effectively with us.”
She added: “It would be completely inappropriate for a Westminster-based politician to be dictating to Scottish Labour how they should run any of their affairs.
“Quite rightly, it was Scottish Labour members who decided their leader and I’m certainly not going to be, at any point, saying that decision instead should be taken by Westminster.”
Watch: ‘Politically suicidal’ Richard Leonard left red-faced after horror FMQs
The Shadow Chancellor stressed the importance of improving Labour’s electoral performance in Scotland – acknowledging that the party is currently not in a strong position with voters north of the border.
She said: “I think it has been very clear from the beginning of Keir’s leadership that he’s absolutely determined that we work very closely with Scottish Labour and it’s always been something that I’ve been determined to do.
“We only have one Scottish Labour MP but we have all of the Labour party in Westminster absolutely determined that we build up our strength in Scotland.”
“I know the difference that having Labour MPs made in Scotland. I really want us to be getting back to that strength.
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