Danielle Rowley 'interested in Labour deputy leadership'

The Scottish Labour MP whose father has been suspended from the party's parliamentary group at Holyrood says she is interested in the deputy leader post he has vacated.

By The Newsroom Wednesday, 15th November 2017, 5:47 pm Updated Tuesday, 12th December 2017, 2:53 am

Danielle Rowley, the MP for Midlothian, said she would consider a deputy leadership bid under the next Scottish Labour leader, who will be named on Saturday.

Her father, the Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alex Rowley, stood aside as deputy and interim leader, and referred himself to the party’s internal complaints procedure over allegations of abusive behavior, which he denies.

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Appearing on the Political Yeti podcast on the same day, shortly before Mr Rowley was also suspended from the Labour party group at Holyrood, Ms Rowley was asked if she would consider the deputy post to ensure a gender-balanced leadership team.

She replied: “Are people ready for another Rowley? That’s the question.”

Ms Rowley, who has led Richard Leonard’s leadership campaign, told podcast host James Millar: “I would be interested.

"The whole question of whether we should have a woman as deputy I find quite interesting, because Anas [Sarwar] has said he would create two deputies, so that there would be an extra position to get a woman in.

"That’s in response to no women standing for leader. But actually, there was a position open, but no women applied for it. So we don’t need extra positions, that’s not what the issue is.” She called for additional support and training for women in the Labour Party.