KEZIA Dugdale has secured agreement from Labour’s ruling body to give full autonomy to the party north of the Border.
The Scottish Labour leader announced the news just before 8pm last night following a meeting of its UK National Executive Committee (NEC).
Delegates to the Labour conference, which begins in Liverpool this weekend, will have to back the proposals if they are to be implemented.
Dugdale said that if her proposals were passed they would signal “the biggest change in how Scottish Labour is run in a generation”.
Last night’s development follows a joint statement, issued last year by Dugdale and UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn amid concerns the party north of the Border was regarded as an outpost from London.
After she was elected leader
Dugdale swiftly put together plans to make the party fully autonomous in a bid to overcome “the branch office” description famously made by former party leader Johann Lamont when she stood down following the independence referendum two years ago.
If Dugdale’s plan is approved by delegates the party in Scotland will have considerable new powers, allowing it full control over policy-making, including in reserved areas such as defence.
It will also mean the Scottish Labour Party Executive Committee (SEC) will be responsible for the selection of all UK parliamentary candidates in Scotland as well as being responsible for the management of Constituency Labour Parties in the country.
Furthermore, it will give Scottish Labour direct representation with voting rights on the NEC by a frontbench MSP, nominated by the Scottish Labour leader.
Dugdale attended last night’s NEC meeting in central London. “I’m pleased to say that we have the agreement of Labour’s NEC for our autonomy proposals,” she said afterwards.
“These will be the biggest changes we’ve seen to how the Scottish Labour Party is run in a generation. It means Scottish Labour is now on track to become fully autonomous within the UK Labour Party.”
She added: “I’m looking forward to making these arguments at the UK conference and hopefully seeing the proposals passed by delegates.
“It is right that as devolution strengthens across the UK that Scottish Labour changes to reflect that. Today we took an important step in achieving that.”
UK leader Corbyn gave his backing to Dugdale’s autonomy proposals in October last year.
A joint statement released by both politicians at the time said: “The Labour Party in different parts of the UK already has unique identities and organisational structures, but we need to go further.
“The last Labour Government devolved so much power across the country, but we didn’t do the same with our party. That will change under our leadership. We agree that Scottish Labour will become a more autonomous party.”
It added: “This will be a major change in the way we operate and will put beyond doubt the fact that decisions about Scottish Labour will be taken by Scottish Labour.”
Despite the prospect of more autonomy the party shows no sign of changing its opposition to independence with Dugdale saying she will oppose a second plebiscite.
SNP spokesperson: "It's good to see Labour in Scotland, at least on paper, shaking off their branch office status. Though i'm sure we'll have to first see it to believe it. "With their new found freedom to choose policies on reserved matters Scottish Labour should call for powers in these areas to come to Holyrood - and give their full support to the SNP's priorities such as opposing Trident and exploring all options to maintain Scotland's place in Europe."
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