RICHARD Leonard did not attend today’s meeting of Scottish Labour MSPs following last week’s attempts to oust him as leader, it has emerged.
Leonard had been due to give a leader’s report on the events of the past week at the weekly meeting, but joined UK Labour’s NEC meeting online instead.
Last week four Labour MSPs – James Kelly, Jenny Marra, Daniel Johnson and Mark Griffin – and a handful of senior party figures called on Leonard to step down ahead of the Holyrood elections.
Leonard has held on to his position and insists he has the support of party members. He warned the rebel MSPs they could face deselection following their calls for his resignation.
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Last night Leonard’s predecessor spoke to Scotland Tonight about the attempt to oust the leader.
Kezia Dugdale told the programme: “Richard Leonard wanted my former job because he believed he could do a better job of it, and I think it's completely and solely for Richard Leonard to do the progress report on that one.”
Meanwhile, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell gave an update to the Labour Campaign for Socialism group’s Rally for Socialism.
He condemned the attempted coup against Leonard, telling members people had seemed to “forget” the commitments the party leader has shown to progressive causes.
He said: "When I heard about what some MSPs had done and said, you felt like holding your head in your hands. We're in the middle of a pandemic where we have brothers and sisters dying and suffering...
"Do these individuals think of the lives and jobs at risk? No, they just think of their own jobs and themselves. It is unacceptable. It is a act of grotesque act of irresponsibility. Richard is exposing what the Sturgeon administration is failing on. It can make you very angry."
The party is currently on track to win just 14% of the vote at next year’s election, according to the latest polling on Holyrood voting intentions.
Leonard has overseen several poor election results for the party, including the European elections and last year’s General Election in which Labour was left with just one MP north of the Border.
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