Scottish Labour: Two candidates confirmed for leader, three for deputy

As nominations for leader of the UK Labour Party close today, nominations open in the Scottish Labour leadership and deputy leadership elections.

It’s been confirmed today there will be two candidates in the leadership race, with no surprises – both Ken Macintosh and Kezia Dugdale have both previously shown public interest in the role.

Three candidates have been confirmed for the deputy leader race: Alex Rowley MSP, Richard Baker MSP and, with councillors allowed to stand for the first time, Cllr Gordon Matheson.

Rowley has been an MSP since January last year. He was General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party in the 1990s, and is considered to be very close to both Gordon Brown and former leadership candidate Neil Findlay – Rowley was one of the MSPs to publicly call for Jim Murphy to resign last month.

Baker has been an MSP since 2003, and was the unsuccessful candidate for Aberdeen North in the Westminster election this year.

Gordon Matheson is leader of Glasgow City Council, having been first elected as a councillor in 1999.

Candidates must now secure 15% of support from Scottish Labour MPs, MSPs and MEPs or 15% of councillor nominations before Friday’s deadline. You can see the full new rules set and timetable here.

A new leadership team will be announced on August 15th.