Kezia Dugdale announces she’s standing to be Scottish Labour leader

Kezia Dugdale, Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour, has officially entered the contest to be Leader.

This comes after Jim Murphy’s surprise announcement that he was stepping down as Scottish Labour leader, despite narrowly winning a vote of no confidence among his colleagues.

Following Murphy’s announcement, it was widely thought that Dugdale would put her name forward. Now David Clegg from the Daily Record has reported that she’s officially in the race:

Dugdale is a MSP who has represented the Lothian region since 2011 and was elected as deputy leader in 2014. In putting her name forward, she joins Ken Macintosh, who confirmed he was seriously thinking about running earlier in the week.

Following Clegg’s tweet, Dugdale sent out the following message:

Update: Here’s Dugdale’s statement in full

“I am standing to be Scottish Labour Leader and I intend to transform my party for the good of my country.  

“I will formally launch my campaign next month when the Scottish Executive Committee sets out the rules and timetable for the leadership contest. At that point there will be much more to say on how we must meet the challenge ahead.

“This is a moment when Scottish Labour must and will change. It’s time for a new generation with a vision for the future of Scotland. 

“Labour lost badly in the General Election. Nothing we can say or do will disguise that fact. The job of our next leader isn’t to explain away that loss or find excuses – it’s to understand why people were so reluctant to vote for us and find a way of regaining the trust of the people of Scotland. 

“I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge Scottish Labour faces. But we’ve been the insurgent force before, pushing back against the political establishment and winning great victories and profound social change. We will be that force again. Our values are what we will carry forward with us – all the rest is baggage.  

“We have a mountain to climb, but I believe I offer a fresh start for Scottish Labour. The great social change we fight for is not a partisan cause. I can be a unifying figure across our party and our country. 

“As the daughter of two teachers I know the value of education. At its best it can transform the life chances of young people, no matter their background. The only way we can secure a fairer, brighter tomorrow for Scotland is by giving our young people a better start in life today. As Scottish Labour Leader that’s what I would work for every single day.”