Scottish Labour is split over how to conduct a soul-searching investigation into their Holyrood election drubbing. Party leader Anas Sarwar headed off attempts at the weekend by the trade unions for the review of the defeat to be independent. The internal probe will instead be chaired by a member of the party's own governing body.
Worst Ever Holyrood Result
Scottish Labour recorded their worst ever Holyrood result in May, their fifth defeat in a row to the SNP. Sarwar's allies blame outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the loss, and an election post-mortem will likely point the finger at the UK Government. Others in the party believe Sarwar must shoulder some of the blame, arguing that the Holyrood manifesto and election strategy were weak.
Tensions at Scottish Executive Committee Meeting
But the review has been slow to get off the ground due to tensions inside the Scottish Labour family. At a meeting of the party's Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) on Saturday, a rift emerged on who should be chair. Trade unions wanted an independent chair and backed party veteran Dave Watson, who used to sit on the SEC, to take the lead. A briefing note by the unions ahead of the summit stated: 'Trust and confidence in the review is vital, for this to be achieved there must be a credible independent chair.'
But Sarwar's allies on the SEC wanted an in-house solution and prevailed when a vote was forced. Seventeen members of the committee are said to have voted for an internal probe, nine backed an externally-chaired probe and there was one abstention. Suzanne Macleod, a member of the SEC and a candidate in May, will chair the review.
Unions Push for Special Conference
The unions are also pushing for a special conference of Scottish Labour to vote on the review recommendations. A draft copy of the terms of reference suggested the review could be completed in September, but a party source said this would be pushed back. A second insider said the review, which could fundamentally rethink the relationship with the UK party, could be linked to the timing of Sarwar's departure as leader. If a special conference is held in 2027, Sarwar could stay on longer than expected.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: 'The Scottish Executive Committee were clear that it should be an SEC led regional review that was inclusive, transparent, and open to all members, candidates, trades union and affiliates, looking at any lessons to be learned from the election campaign. That review is now underway.'
