Monica Lennon launches scathing attack on Scottish Labour after failing to secure place on ballot
Monica Lennon has accused Scottish Labour of being “stuck in the past” and of “punching down on trans people and other minorities”.
Monica Lennon has failed to get enough nominations to contest the Scottish Labour leadership election and has launched a scathing attack on the party.
Those vying to replace Anas Sarwar, who quit as leader to take on a peerage and a UK government role, had until 10am today to secure enough nominations to win a place on the ballot. Just two candidates, Joe Fagan and Michael Marra, will move onto the ballot.
Ms Lennon, who was the first to announce her leadership bid, failed to secure enough nominations from MPs to proceed and has now fallen out of the race. In response to missing out, she has accused the party of being “stuck in the past” and of “punching down on trans people and other minorities”.
The Glasgow regional MSP only had the support of three MSPs - Carol Mochan, Katy Clarke and herself and two MPs, while candidates needed three of each to get onto the ballot. Candidates were also required to win enough support from trade unions and affiliates, a threshold Ms Lennon did achieve.
“Scottish Labour is stuck in the past”, Ms Lennon said.
“We are not listening to all of our members, the wider movement that built us or the millions of Scots who won’t vote for us.
“This leadership contest should have been a wide debate, rooted in courage, humility and the imagination to become a modern political party for workers and working class communities in Scotland.
“Our values mean nothing without vision, conviction and committed action.“We must be a party where people can believe in fair work and a healthy planet; where women’s rights and LGBTQ rights are a shared struggle; where engaging in debate about Scotland’s place in the UK and the global community is a strength, not a weakness.”
Ms Lennon said that her leadership offer “was not positional” and “not limited to a new name above the door”.
She said: “Our movement wants an inclusive, progressive and unapologetically socialist recovery.
“I am grateful to have significant backing from our movement, including Unite, Unison Labour Link Scotland, the CWU, the Scottish Co-operative Party, Mainstream, the Campaign for Socialism, Disability Labour, the Socialist Health Association Scotland, SERA - Labour’s environment campaign, local parties, councillors and parliamentary colleagues who backed my bid for a battle of ideas.”
Ms Lennon added: “The soul-searching continues but my message to the leadership candidates is this: Scotland’s young people deserve a Scottish Labour Party who will stand up to billionaires and the wealthy elite. Their future is on the line. Our planet is burning and hope is fading.
“Punching down on trans people and other minorities is not acceptable. Do better, lead with decency and act with courage. Then, and only then, will there be a viable Scottish Labour Party worthy of the support of the people of Scotland.”
Mr Fagan, who was first elected to Holyrood in May, received the support of seven MPs and five MSPs while party frontbencher Michael Marra, secured the backing of 24 MPs and seven MSPs and will now contest the leadership election - with the winner announced on Saturday, September 19.
Speaking as nominations closed, Mr Fagan said: “This campaign is about more than understanding what went wrong. It is about what Labour does next. It is about respecting work, backing our communities and giving working people real power over the future, not asking them simply to live with decisions made elsewhere.
“I want to rebuild Scottish Labour as the party of the working people of Scotland, rooted in our communities, serious about using power to change lives and ambitious enough to make Scotland’s future belong to the people who work, care, build, teach and keep our country going.”
Mr Marra said the next leader had to “renew” the party and “rediscover its moral purpose”.
He said that the contest must find the candidate best able to “bring the party together” and “galvanise that movement”, warning supporters: “If we don’t change, we’ll be here again in five years. And how’s that going to feel?”
A ballot of members and affiliated supporters will open on Friday, August 28 and will close on Thursday, September 17 at 5pm - with the winner being announced two days later.
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