Scottish Politics - No2NuclearPower
The disastrous result at the Holyrood elections in May, when Labour pledged to oust the SNP from power but instead secured its worst-ever result in the Scottish parliament, has led to an internal debate over whether Labour should agree to a roadmap outlining how a new referendum could take place. The issue is likely to be prominent in an upcoming leadership campaign and two potential candidates, Monica Lennon and Paul Sweeney, have already expressed their openness to the idea. However, … read more »
The disastrous result at the Holyrood elections in May, when Labour pledged to oust the SNP from power but instead secured its worst-ever result in the Scottish parliament, has led to an internal debate over whether Labour should agree to a roadmap outlining how a new referendum could take place. The issue is likely to be prominent in an upcoming leadership campaign and two potential candidates, Monica Lennon and Paul Sweeney, have already expressed their openness to the idea. However, Lamont said Labour should “not apologise” for its belief in the union, nor the fact that its politicians and members do not “wake up in the morning wanting to wave a flag”. Michael Marra is seen as the early frontrunner, although Lennon, who lost her seat at May’s election but is returning to Holyrood as a consequence of Sarwar’s resignation, is seen by insiders as a credible threat to Marra if she can get the required number of nominations. Marra would be seen as the centrist in a race against Lennon, on the left of the party. She stood against Sarwar in 2021, winning more than 42 per cent of the vote. Party members are said to be furious over the drubbing in May’s election, when the hierarchy repeatedly insisted their internal data showed they would perform well. There is a feeling that an insurgent candidate such as Lennon could perform strongly. Lennon claimed she would give the “resettlement payment” she received after losing her seat at the Holyrood election to charities close to her heart. She said: “I fought the election but lost and received a resettlement payment from the Scottish parliament. I hoped to be back one day as an MSP but never expected to return after a few months. Times 24th July 2026read more »Share