Monica Lennon has urged Scottish Labour not to “punch down” on trans people after she failed to make the ballot for party leader. The left-wing MSP also claimed Labour is “stuck in the past” after her bid was snubbed by party MSPs and MPs.
Leadership ballot requirements
In the race to succeed Anas Sarwar, candidates needed the support of three Labour MSPs, three Scottish Labour MPs and two trade unions to get on the ballot. Lennon, a Glasgow MSP, met the union threshold but fell short among parliamentarians after a push to keep her out of the contest.
The race will now be between two male MSPs, Michael Marra and Joe Fagan. One issue said to be preventing parliamentarians from backing Lennon is her support for trans rights.
Trans rights divide
Marra and Fagan believe Labour made a mistake in backing the SNP Government's gender reforms, while Lennon is a trans ally. In a statement, she said: “Scottish Labour is stuck in the past. 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. My leadership offer was not positional. Not limited to a new name above the door. Our movement wants an inclusive, progressive and unapologetically socialist recovery.”
Call to candidates
She 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.”
She also explicitly mentioned her support for trans rights: “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.”
