JACKIE Baillie has refused to deny a suggestion that she was behind moves to force Richard Leonard to step down as Scottish Labour leader.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay appeared to make the claim about the party’s deputy leader on social media after four of his party colleagues demanded that Leonard stand down.

James Kelly, Jenny Marra, Daniel Johnson and Mark Griffin all urged Leonard to go in a dramatic series of events on Wednesday as he prepared to challenge Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions.

When Baillie, Leonard’s deputy, did not break her silence to defend her embattled boss, Scottish Young Labour issued a statement of “support and solidarity” with Leonard – and called on Baillie to publicly back him.

“The latest in these co-ordinated attacks against Richard are extremely frustrating, especially given the upcoming election in eight months,” said the statement.

“Richard has been campaigning tirelessly and it’s disappointing to think that while doing so, some were planning how to oust him. We need to unite behind him and his transformative plans for real change in Scotland.

“We would also urge deputy leader Jackie Baillie to lend her support and condemn this behaviour.”

However, Baillie continued not to say anything.

Highlighting a tweet which referred to a newspaper article calling for her to intervene, Findlay, an ally of Leonard, wrote: “Oh I suspect she may have ‘intervened’ many times over the last three years …”

The National contacted Scottish Labour yesterday about the claim Findlay had suggested. The paper was asked to contact Baillie directly.

Baillie did not respond to questions from The National about whether she was involved in the rebel MSPs’ demands for resignation and about his suggestion that she had undermined Leonard since he was elected leader three years ago.

Leonard defeated the party’s health spokesman and former deputy leader Anas Sarwar in a bitter contest, gaining 57% of the vote. Baillie was a high-profile supporter of Sarwar in that election.

Less than a year later Baillie was sacked by Leonard as the party’s Holyrood economy spokesperson in a shadow cabinet reshuffle – which also removed Sarwar from his health spokesperson role.

Sarwar, a Glasgow MSP, said he was “very disappointed” to lose his job, adding he was dismayed to learn of his fate via Twitter while representing Labour in a health debate in the Holyrood chamber.

Sarwar later met Leonard to be told of his demotion – a courtesy that was not extended to Baillie who left parliament after several hours of speculation over her position.

After she was elected deputy leader of Scottish Labour in April this year, Leonard re-appointed Baillie to his shadow cabinet as spokesperson for finance, jobs and fair work.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour’s ruling body is due to meet today to consider rules about how the party selects candidates on the regional list – the route most of its MSPs are likely to be elected from.

It is up to local members to rank candidates, with the top three or four likely to gain a Holyrood seat.

Leonard suggested on Wednesday that some of the rebel MSPs may not be suitable to return to Holyrood as he underlined a need for fresh talent.

Last night the Scottish Labour boss was still in post despite further calls by figures on the centre of the party to get him to go.

Labour peer Lord Robertson has said Leonard standing down would be “a start”. Tony Blair’s former defence secretary said the party has to recover to produce a Labour government at the next election.

Polls have suggested Labour is on course to get just 14% of the vote in both the constituency and regional vote in May.