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Kezia Dugdale: Former Labour leader to quit Scottish Parliament | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is to leave the Scottish Parliament to take up a post with a political think tank. | Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale is to leave the Scottish Parliament to take up a post with a political think tank. |
She has been appointed as director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service, based at the University of Glasgow. | She has been appointed as director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service, based at the University of Glasgow. |
Ms Dugdale will step down as an MSP for the Lothian region at Holyrood in July. | Ms Dugdale will step down as an MSP for the Lothian region at Holyrood in July. |
She said her new role would be "an incredibly exciting new opportunity" to contribute to public life. | She said her new role would be "an incredibly exciting new opportunity" to contribute to public life. |
Kezia Dugdale resigned as leader of her party in Scotland in 2017, saying it was time to "pass on the baton" to someone else. | |
She had previously criticised UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and faced criticism from left-wing members of her own party as a result. | |
Ms Dugdale replaced Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour leader in August 2015, after the party lost all but one of its Westminster seats in Scotland to the SNP. | |
Under her leadership, Labour finished third behind the SNP and Scottish Conservatives in the Scottish Parliament election - but went on to win seven seats in the snap general election in June 2017. | |
Faith in politics | |
Speaking of her new role, Ms Dugdale said: "I have devoted my working life to public service, and this is an incredibly exciting new opportunity for me to lead the work of the John Smith Centre. | |
"Throughout my career I have taken on tough and challenging tasks, and my next task is to help rebuild faith in our politics. | |
"Disruptive events and the rise of populism has led to increasingly polarised and emotional politics where rational, evidence-based thinking has lost its standing. | |
She added: "Faith in public service, politics and the political process has to be restored and that progress must be sustainable." | |
The centre 's chairperson, Catherine Smith - who is John Smith's daughter - said the director's post had attracted many talented potential candidates. | |
"We are absolutely delighted that someone of Kezia's calibre will be joining us as the first full time Director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service after a rigorous and open recruitment process which attracted a strong international field," she said. | |
"We are very much looking forward to working with her as she leads our strategic, research and outreach activities and takes the Centre to the next stage of its development." | |
International role | |
Principal of the University of Glasgow, Prof Sir Anton Muscatelli, added: "I am extremely pleased to welcome Kezia Dugdale to the University of Glasgow as Director of the John Smith Centre for Public Service. | |
"Her background as one of Scotland's most prominent and respected politicians will be invaluable in making a success of this important new position and bring tremendous insights in her academic work with our students, both undergraduate and postgraduate." | |
The John Smith Centre is a think tank which has a role described as "exploring contemporary attitudes, feelings and future intentions with regard to public service, citizenship and engagement". | |
Ms Dugdale's role will include teaching students at Glasgow University and representing the John Smith Centre on the international stage, as well as "transforming it into one of the UK's leading think-tanks". |