Joe Fagan, a contender for the Scottish Labour leadership, has received the backing of MSP Paul Sweeney, who has confirmed he will not enter the race himself.
Mr Sweeney said he had “thought long and hard” about seeking nominations before deciding against standing. His support goes to Mr Fagan as the party seeks a successor to Anas Sarwar.
Sweeney explains his decision
“That has not been an easy decision,” Mr Sweeney said. “I believe Scottish Labour needs to rediscover its confidence as a party of work, industry, housing, public services and community power.
“We need to speak again for the places that built Scotland, and for people who feel politics has become too distant from their lives.
“For me, the candidate best placed to carry that argument is Joe Fagan.”
Three in the running
Mr Fagan, a former leader of South Lanarkshire Council, welcomed the endorsement. He said: “Paul understands that Scottish Labour cannot be a party of the Holyrood bubble.
“We have to bring our party back to the service of our movement and the people of Scotland.”
The other candidates are North East Scotland regional MSP Michael Marra and Glasgow region MSP Monica Lennon, who replaces Mr Sarwar. Mr Sarwar stepped down as leader and MSP to join Andy Burnham’s government through the House of Lords.
All three hopefuls have also outlined their pitches in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper. Mr Fagan took a swipe at the outgoing leader by saying: “I am not building the kind of career that ends in ermine.”
Ms Lennon called for a “big tent” party and an end to internal disputes. She said: “First, the factional infighting must end.
“Insiders who value personal loyalties over progressive action have often underestimated their colleagues.
“I’ve felt that, too.”
Writing on social media on Sunday, she argued there should be no “coronation or a contest without women”. She said: “This ‘contest’ reeks of misogyny and male entitlement.
“That’s the road to nowhere.
“We’re not here for a social life or to win an occasional debate.
“We were created to win power for working class communities and lead in government, not from the gutter.”
Mr Marra said the party had not been clear enough in its election offer, when it fell to 17 MSPs. He said: “Highlighting the incompetence of the SNP is not an argument for why people should put their faith in Scottish Labour instead.
“People have seen what the SNP has done or hasn’t done with power for almost 20 years – people wanted to know what Scottish Labour would do tomorrow if we won power and that just wasn’t clear enough.
“What I want is for our party’s goals to become obvious and unmistakable.”
