MSPs call for Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard to quit - BBC News
A group of Scottish Labour MSPs say the party faces "catastrophe" unless Richard Leonard stands down.
Richard Leonard's leadership has been criticised by some sections of the party since he took over from Kezia Dugdale three years ago

Four Scottish Labour MSPs have called on the party's leader, Richard Leonard, to quit ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament election.

James Kelly resigned as the party's justice spokesman, saying he had no confidence in Mr Leonard's leadership.

Social security spokesman Mark Griffin has also quit, with backbenchers Jenny Marra and Daniel Johnson adding their voices to calls for Mr Leonard to go.

Mr Leonard has vowed to lead the party into the election.

He accused the MSPs of waging an "internal war" against him, and said he would be fighting the election on a platform of "building a National Care Service, establishing a quality Jobs Guarantee scheme and reviving Scotland's economy with a Green New Deal".

Mr Leonard added: "If any party representative thinks an internal faction fight is more important than this agenda, then they will have to answer to party members and the voters whom we serve".

He took over the leadership from Kezia Dugdale in 2017 - but there have been concerns about his performance from some senior party figures ever since.

Opinion polls suggest Scottish Labour is trailing a distant third behind the SNP and Scottish Conservatives ahead of the election next May.

The party slumped to fifth in last year's European elections after winning just 9.3% of the votes - down from 26% in the previous election in 2014.

Jenny Marra said Mr Leonard's leadership had been tied to that of Mr Corbyn, and it was now time for him to go

In his resignation statement, Mr Kelly said that Mr Leonard's personal polling ratings were particularly low - even among the party's own supporters.

He added: "Such poor ratings would produce a catastrophic result from which the party would struggle to recover.

"I have no confidence in your ability to shape the party's message, strategy and organisation. I know that this is a view shared by other parliamentarians, party members and indeed many members of the public.

"It is clear that after nearly three years in charge you are not able to take the party forward. I firmly and sincerely believe that it is in the best interests of the party that you stand down as leader."

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His views were echoed by Ms Marra, who told The Times that the party risked "catastrophe" if it did not change course.

She described Mr Leonard, who was seen as being a close ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as being "utterly committed to the party, the cause and is liked by everyone".

But she added: "Richard is a stalwart of our party but he cannot lead us. That's the unavoidable truth and change is our best hope.

"Richard's leadership was tied from the start to the disaster of Jeremy Corbyn's project. It remains so in the public's view and they simply will not give the party a hearing as things stand.

"We need new energy, a new approach and to turn a new page."

James Kelly has resigned as the party's justice spokesman over Mr Leonard's leadership

A third MSP, Daniel Johnson, tweeted his support for Ms Marra and Mr Kelly - saying: "It is time to recognise the situation we are in and for Richard to step down."

Mr Johnson said he had attempted to raise his concerns and make constructive suggestions but claimed that these had gone unheeded, and there had been no change in approach or performance.

He added: "Continuing like this will be disastrous for our party and is why I no longer have confidence in Richard Leonard's leadership."

Meanwhile, Mr Griffin said polls suggested that fewer than half of the voting public knows who Mr Leonard is - and that most of those who do, including a majority of Scottish Labour voters, have a negative opinion of him.

He added: "We cannot hope to improve when any criticism, public or private, is dismissed as factional".

However, Mr Leonard was backed by Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who is also on the left of the party.

Mr Findlay tweeted that the colleagues who were calling for Mr Leonard's head were "pathetic" and guilty of "treachery with a snarl".

This is an attempt to topple the Scottish Labour leader - and it may not be over yet.

Before he quit as the party's justice spokesman, James Kelly privately approached Richard Leonard to ask him to stand down.

I am told he did so on behalf of a sizeable group of Labour MSPs, certainly more than the four who have now spoken out publicly.

What's less clear is if any of them would be prepared to challenge him to a formal leadership contest.

Mr Leonard has told the BBC he intends to lead the party into the 2021 Holyrood election and has questioned the suitability of his critics to stand in that contest.

The party has yet to make its list selections and it's understood Mr Leonard favours a gender balanced system that may squeeze out some existing MSPs.

Mr Kelly insists his concern is not for himself but for the future of the Scottish Labour party, which has lost ground in elections and opinion polls while Richard Leonard has been in charge.