Shadow Scotland Secretary Lesley Laird to become Scottish Labour deputy leader

Shadow Scotland Secretary Lesley Laird will become the Scottish Labour party's deputy leader after being the only candidate nominated for the vacancy when voting closed.



The party say Ms Laird, who has been acting deputy since December, will formally take up the post “in the coming days”, at a meeting of parliamentarians and councillors.

The position was vacated following the resignation of MSP Alex Rowley.

The job comes less than a year after Ms Laird won back Gordon Brown’s former seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath for Labour, after it was won by the SNP 2015.

Following her appointment, she said: “I’m ready to get on with the job of holding the Tory and SNP governments to account and outlining a positive vision of what a Labour government can do in Scotland and across the UK.

“The SNP’s Cuts Commission shows that only Labour offers the real and radical change that Scots wants, with investment in our public services, infrastructure and our people.

“The 2017 General Election saw Labour win seats and slash majorities across Scotland. The next General Election will see Scotland help deliver a Labour government that works for the many, not the few.”

Labour’s leader north of the border, Richard Leonard, said: “Lesley will be a great voice for our members and our movement, to make the case for the economic and social transformation Scotland so desperately needs.

“Together we will build a Labour Party which appeals to all people of goodwill who want justice, equality, co-operation and real change.”