Energy Security Minister Michael Shanks has said Scottish Labour should not be “overly dramatic” after the party's fifth consecutive election defeat to the SNP, distancing himself from left-wing leadership contender Monica Lennon.
In an interview with BBC Scotland's Breakfast show, Shanks said “too much naval gazing” should be avoided as the party faces another leadership contest following Anas Sarwar's abrupt resignation to become a peer and minister in the UK Government.
MP hits back at Shanks
Fellow Labour MP Brian Leishman criticised Shanks's remarks, saying: “How bad does it have to get for it to be too dramatic? We have 17 MSPs, the same number as a far right party. We have an identity crisis and are becoming an irrelevance.”
Leishman added: “Until we have a proper analysis we are heading for the rocks.”
Leadership contest looms
The leadership battle could see a contest between MSPs Michael Marra, Joe Fagan and Lennon. Figures on all wings of the party were furious that Sarwar did not lead a review into the defeat in May.
Asked whether he was angry about Sarwar's decision, Shanks said: “Look, I said it came as a surprise. I think it has plunged us into a leadership election now, which we probably could have done without when we were in the process of reviewing why we lost in May.”
Shanks rejects 'missing soul' claim
Although Shanks acknowledged Scottish Labour must ask itself “some really difficult questions”, he said: “Too much naval gazing, I think, is not in our interests.”
Asked if Lennon was right to say the contest is about finding “our party's missing soul”, Shanks said: “I don't think she is. I think we've got a challenge that we need to rebuild trust with the Scottish electorate. We need to be really clear and ambitious about what our plan is for Scotland. I don't think we were ambitious enough in May, and I think that resulted in the election result that we had. But I think we can just be a bit too dramatic about some of these things.”
He added: “The Scottish Labour party plays an important role in communities right across the country. We've got councillors right now working hard in every community. I think we should... come up with some serious plans and not be a bit too overly dramatic about this.”
