Labour Leadership Debates

The five candidates standing to become Scottish Labour's new leader and deputy face their first debate tonight.

MSPs Ken Macintosh and Kezia Dugdale are contesting the top job to replace Jim Murphy.

Alex Rowley, Richard Baker, both MSPs, and Glasgow Council leader Gordon Matheson want to be number two.

All of them will take part in a hustings in Edinburgh, before similar events across the country ahead of voting later this month.

Eastwood MSP Mr Macintosh launched his campaign on Friday calling for a radical new approach, and to stop being defined by the parties they oppose.

At the launch, he set out his vision to establish the party's Head Office in Edinburgh.  

"It is time the structure of the Labour Party reflected that the focus of political attention in Scotland is Holyrood.  This will be the head office – we will opt in to the Labour Party, we will choose to be members of something bigger, but control rests with members here in Scotland. He said.

"Now that is not a step on the road to centralisation however, far from it.  I am committed to devolution and I want to devolve responsibility within the Party to eight regions reflecting the list regions of the Scottish Parliament, with membership and campaigning organised at that level."

He added: "I want to broaden our appeal, not narrowly focus on an ever declining audience of Scots with so-called traditional Labour values; not solely concentrate on former industrial heartlands in the central belt, but reach out to every place and part of Scotland."

'Another storm'

Ms Dugdale's bid began the next day, saying the party needs to attract younger voters and that it is facing "another storm" in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

With a background in education, she said: “The gap between the richest and poorest kids in Scotland is far too high. After more than eight years of SNP Government that gap isn’t getting any narrower. The solution isn’t to drag the well-off kids back – it’s to help the kids who are struggling to get on.

“We need to think outside the box when it comes to reforming state schools in Scotland. 

“In some of the most deprived communities in Scotland live the geniuses of the future. It must be the role of government to help find the next JK Rowling, Andy Murray or Tom Hunter wherever they live and whatever their background.”

This is the party's first leadership election to be held under the one member, one vote system, replacing the electoral college system that appeared to favour union votes. Non members can register for a vote for a £3 fee.