This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/18/richard-leonard-voted-scottish-labour-leader

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Richard Leonard voted Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard voted Scottish Labour leader
(about 2 hours later)
The Scottish Labour party has elected Richard Leonard, a Jeremy Corbyn supporter, as its new leader after a fractious campaign.The Scottish Labour party has elected Richard Leonard, a Jeremy Corbyn supporter, as its new leader after a fractious campaign.
His election marks a significant defeat for Labour’s centrists, who had endorsed his rival Anas Sarwar, and helps to cements Corbyn’s control of the Labour party, which has slowly regained support in Scotland this year under his leadership.His election marks a significant defeat for Labour’s centrists, who had endorsed his rival Anas Sarwar, and helps to cements Corbyn’s control of the Labour party, which has slowly regained support in Scotland this year under his leadership.
Until now, Scottish Labour had backed centrist candidates, with its members voting in the UK party’s leadership election for Corbyn’s rival, Owen Smith, last year. Until now Scottish Labour had backed centrist candidates, and its members voted in the UK party’s leadership election last year for Corbyn’s rival Owen Smith.
Sarwar had won endorsements from Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor for Greater Manchester, and Harriet Harman, and had the backing of a large majority of Scottish Labour’s MSPs and most of its councillors. Sarwar received endorsements from Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor for Greater Manchester, and Harriet Harman, and had the backing of a large majority of Scottish Labour’s MSPs and most of its councillors.
Leonard, a little-known MSP who was first elected in 2016, had built up a strong reputation in the trade union movement as a GMB political officer, and had close ties to the pro-Corbyn grouping in Scottish Labour. Leonard, a little-known MSP who was first elected in 2016, built up a strong reputation in the trade union movement as a GMB political officer, and has close ties to the pro-Corbyn grouping in Scottish Labour.
The announcement in Glasgow on Saturday was overshadowed by a row about the decision of Kezia Dugdale, whose resignation as Scottish Labour leader sparked the contest, to appear on the ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. The announcement in Glasgow on Saturday was overshadowed by a row about the decision of Kezia Dugdale, whose resignation as Scottish Labour leader sparked the contest, to appear on the ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here.
Labour MSPs and senior figures in the party accused Dugdale of bringing herself and the party into disrepute. She has promised to donate her MSP’s salary to charity for the duration of her time on the show, which starts next week.Labour MSPs and senior figures in the party accused Dugdale of bringing herself and the party into disrepute. She has promised to donate her MSP’s salary to charity for the duration of her time on the show, which starts next week.
Daniel Johnson, the Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern and an ally and friend of Dugdale, said: “It’s not so much that I’m saying nothing; I’m speechless.”Daniel Johnson, the Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern and an ally and friend of Dugdale, said: “It’s not so much that I’m saying nothing; I’m speechless.”
Jenny Marra, another Labour MSP, tweeted:Jenny Marra, another Labour MSP, tweeted:
Election to parliament is a privilege to serve and represent people. It’s not a shortcut to celebrity. https://t.co/SrcA6h1gxzElection to parliament is a privilege to serve and represent people. It’s not a shortcut to celebrity. https://t.co/SrcA6h1gxz
Leonard won a decisive victory by winning both the membership and thetrade union affiliates sections, which secures his mandate.It neutralises potential complaints from centrists that the result wasrigged by union leaders using the affiliate membership system to boosttheir candidate. Thousands of extra members were recruited by theunions, chiefly the pro-Corbyn Unite union.Leonard won with 56.7% of the total vote on a turnout of 62.3% ofScottish Labour’s 35,309 members and affiliates.Barely mentioning Corbyn, Leonard said he represented “a movement forreal change, a movement for democracy and yes, as a movement forsocialism”.Although he described Sarwar as “my friend, my comrade”, he implicitlycriticised Sarwar’s policies on a new means-tested Scottish childbenefit and his more cautious economic policies. Leonard earned a decisive victory by winning both the membership and the trade union affiliates sections.
Leonard said his victory was “a mandate to back a high-wage, high-value, rebalanced economy, to investing in universalism, not means-testing”. The result neutralises potential complaints from centrists that the contest was rigged by union leaders using the affiliate membership system to boost their candidate. Thousands of extra members were recruited by the unions, chiefly the pro-Corbyn Unite union.
Leonard received 56.7% of the total vote on a turnout of 62.3% of Scottish Labour’s 35,309 members and affiliates.
In a speech at Glasgow Science Centre where the result was announced, Leonard said he represented “a movement for real change, a movement for democracy and yes, as a movement for socialism”.
He described Sarwar as “my friend, my comrade”, but he implicitly criticised Sarwar’s policies on a new means-tested Scottish child benefit and his more cautious economic policies.
Barely mentioning Corbyn, Leonard said his victory was “a mandate to back a high-wage, high-value, rebalanced economy, to investing in universalism, not means-testing”.
Sarwar congratulated Leonard on his win, saying: “He has my full and unwavering support, and I look forward to campaigning with him to return a Scottish Labour government.Sarwar congratulated Leonard on his win, saying: “He has my full and unwavering support, and I look forward to campaigning with him to return a Scottish Labour government.
“Our party will now unite around our new leader because we all sharethe same burning desire to elect a Scottish Labour government thatworks for the many, not the few.” “Our party will now unite around our new leader because we all share the same burning desire to elect a Scottish Labour government that works for the many, not the few.”