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| Scottish Labour leader open to all-female shortlist for deputy's post | Scottish Labour leader open to all-female shortlist for deputy's post |
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| Richard Leonard says there should be a gender balance after his previous deputy resigned over misconduct allegations | |
| Severin Carrell and | |
| Libby Brooks | |
| Mon 18 Dec 2017 14.26 GMT | |
| Last modified on Mon 18 Dec 2017 14.33 GMT | |
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| Richard Leonard, the new leader of the Scottish Labour party, has said he is sympathetic to having an all-female shortlist for the vacancy as his deputy leader. | Richard Leonard, the new leader of the Scottish Labour party, has said he is sympathetic to having an all-female shortlist for the vacancy as his deputy leader. |
| Senior Labour sources said only women were expected to stand for the post even if an all-female shortlist was rejected by the party’s Scottish executive. The previous deputy leader, Alex Rowley, resigned on Saturday over allegations of misconduct. | Senior Labour sources said only women were expected to stand for the post even if an all-female shortlist was rejected by the party’s Scottish executive. The previous deputy leader, Alex Rowley, resigned on Saturday over allegations of misconduct. |
| Leonard told the Guardian he believed there should be a gender balance in the party’s Scottish leadership and said he backed all-female election shortlists. He also supports “zipping”, the process where female and male candidates are ranked in turn, based on gender, on regional lists in proportional representation elections. | Leonard told the Guardian he believed there should be a gender balance in the party’s Scottish leadership and said he backed all-female election shortlists. He also supports “zipping”, the process where female and male candidates are ranked in turn, based on gender, on regional lists in proportional representation elections. |
| Leonard said a decision on the rules for the next contest was for the Scottish executive, which meets in late January to discuss the selection process. | Leonard said a decision on the rules for the next contest was for the Scottish executive, which meets in late January to discuss the selection process. |
| “I’m very open to ideas about positive action,” he said. “I do reflect that anyone who thinks these battles are won has to understand that we have to keep fighting to make sure the Labour party looks like and reflects the people we aim to represent.” | “I’m very open to ideas about positive action,” he said. “I do reflect that anyone who thinks these battles are won has to understand that we have to keep fighting to make sure the Labour party looks like and reflects the people we aim to represent.” |
| He implied this could be decided on a case-by-case basis, since gender balance could also involve a male deputy leader. Unlike the UK Labour party, which has always been led by men, Scottish Labour has had three female leaders since 1999: Wendy Alexander, Johann Lamont and Kezia Dugdale. | He implied this could be decided on a case-by-case basis, since gender balance could also involve a male deputy leader. Unlike the UK Labour party, which has always been led by men, Scottish Labour has had three female leaders since 1999: Wendy Alexander, Johann Lamont and Kezia Dugdale. |
| “I think the Labour party in Scotland has been good at promoting women to top positions. What concerns me more is that we get women and under-represented groups involved at all levels of the party and that requires at times positive action,” he said. | “I think the Labour party in Scotland has been good at promoting women to top positions. What concerns me more is that we get women and under-represented groups involved at all levels of the party and that requires at times positive action,” he said. |
| The post could also go to a female MP rather than someone in the Scottish parliament, with the UK party’s senior officials predicting that another snap general election could be called before the next Holyrood election in May 2021. | The post could also go to a female MP rather than someone in the Scottish parliament, with the UK party’s senior officials predicting that another snap general election could be called before the next Holyrood election in May 2021. |
| The interim deputy leader is Lesley Laird, the shadow Scottish secretary and MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Gordon Brown’s old seat, who took her Commons seat in June when Labour won seven Westminster seats in Scotland. | The interim deputy leader is Lesley Laird, the shadow Scottish secretary and MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Gordon Brown’s old seat, who took her Commons seat in June when Labour won seven Westminster seats in Scotland. |
| A former election agent for Brown and a divisive figure in Labour’s Holyrood group, Rowley stood down as deputy leader on Saturday after being accused by a former partner of repeated harassment and bullying behaviour. | A former election agent for Brown and a divisive figure in Labour’s Holyrood group, Rowley stood down as deputy leader on Saturday after being accused by a former partner of repeated harassment and bullying behaviour. |
| He denied the allegations but was also accused of misleading the party about his contacts with the police after she complained in October. Rowley, who admitted backing Leonard during the party’s leadership contest, was suspended from the party whip when the allegations surfaced five weeks ago. | He denied the allegations but was also accused of misleading the party about his contacts with the police after she complained in October. Rowley, who admitted backing Leonard during the party’s leadership contest, was suspended from the party whip when the allegations surfaced five weeks ago. |
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