SCOTTISH Labour conference delegates will today vote on a new policy of federalism which party leader Kezia Dugdale believes would “reshape” the UK .
Westminster spokesman Ian Murray will lead a debate in Perth Concert Hall on the opening day of the three-day event after the plans were drawn up by Dugdale and her deputy Alex Rowley.
Around 1000 people are expected to attend the conference which comes as Scottish Labour prepare to launch their campaign for the council elections in May.
Dugdale, UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and London Mayor Sadiq Khan will be among the speakers.
Members are being asked to endorse a vision for a new “Act of Union” for the UK in response to both Brexit and calls for a second Scottish independence referendum.
The motion calls on the UK party to convene a “People’s Constitutional Convention”, made up of citizens from across the UK, which would then report back before the 2020 General Election.
That convention is part of Dugdale’s vision for a more federal UK, which would also see increased powers for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions.
The conference comes at a time when Labour across the UK is trailing behind the Conservatives in the opinion polls.
In Scotland, which once a heartland for the party, they won just one seat north of the Border in the 2015 election and the party is only the third-largest at Holyrood, having been overtaken by the Tories.
In his speech to conference today, Murray is expected to say: “Our vision – the Scottish Labour vision – is for a radical reshaping of the UK that offers a post-Brexit solution that delivers for the four corners of these islands.
“It is time for a new Act of Union – it has been 300 years since the last one – one that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.
“The federal solution we propose would renew and refresh our ailing democracy, and give a voice to those who feel they have none.
“It would allow us to mitigate the failures of the past, and lay the foundations for a better future.”
Murray is expected to add: “This is a historic moment for our party. The party of devolution – now ready to seize the mantle as the party of federalism.”
The conference takes place days after it emerged donations to Scottish Labour fell from £592,000 in 2015 to £105,000 last year. Insiders have blamed Corbyn’s leadership.
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