SCOTTISH Labour bosses have joined a UK-wide search for new candidates as Keir Starmer tries to widen his party's appeal.
Starmer aims to attract hundreds of new and recent members to run for Labour at the next general election.
It's understood that the party is preparing for a potential contest in 2023.
The Times newspaper reported that Starmer is keen to recruit potential candidates from outwith traditional Labour circles in order to "address the talent deficit and get pro-Starmer people", according to a source.
Its Future Candidates Programme will allow anyone to stand, regardless of length of membership, after a rule-change.
The National has learned that Scottish Labour is also participating in the drive.
That's after it came out of the 2019 general election with just one MP, Ian Murray in Edinburgh South.
It dropped six seats and an 8.5% vote share in the snap December contest but fared better in the more recent Scottish Parliament election, when it lost only two seats for a total MSP group of 22.
Newcomers to that group included Paul Sweeney, who was amongst the MPs to lose their seats in 2019, Edinburgh Mela co-founder Foysol Choudhury and Pam Duncan-Glancy, the first MSP who is also a permanent wheelchair user.
John McDonnell called the party's 2019 result — its worst since 1935 — a "disaster" after it dropped 59 constituencies across the UK.
The result led to Jeremy Corbyn's departure and Starmer's move into leadership. He is now said to be keen to "open the party up and make it more representative and less obsessed with internal issues".
With 360 spaces available for "those with potential", the first applicants are expected to submit bids within the week before undergoing training and eventually undertaking assessments prior to selection.
It's thought that new candiates will be needed to replace retirees at the next election, with 21% of Labour MPs in their 60s.
Within the past year, web sessions have been held to encourage more people from underrepresented groups, including women, those from ethnic minority backgrounds and from the LGBTQ community, to stand.
A source confirmed Scottish Labour is also participating.
Ahead of the 2019 election, the party's general secretary extended the deadline for potential candidates amidst suggestions that it was struggling to find runners in more than half of Scottish constituencies.
Reports in late 2020 suggested there were similar issues just seven months ahead of the Scottish Parliament contest.
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