Unison backs Monica Lennon to become Scottish Labour leader

One of Scotland’s biggest unions has backed Monica Lennon to become the next Scottish Labour leader.

Unison said its Labour Link committee endorsed the politician after an online hustings with leadership rivals Michael Marra and Joe Fagan.

Ms Lennon still does not have enough support from parliamentarians to officially enter the race.

Janine Langler, Unison Scotland Labour Link vice-chairwoman, said the next leader must protect public sector jobs.

She said: “The Scottish Labour leader must stand up for public services and fight the SNP’s plans to axe 20,000 jobs as part of cuts amounting to a billion pounds.

“Scotland has the longest NHS waiting lists since devolution, social care’s in crisis and councils have serious financial problems. Public services need investment, not cuts.”

Earlier, Ms Lennon, who became an MSP again following Anas Sarwar’s resignation, warned her party had “turned to rubble”.

She posted in response to Labour MP Jon Trickett, who said “get Monica on the ballot paper”.

She wrote: “What @jon_trickett is saying reflects how members feel.

“After 19 years of opposition and six Holyrood election defeats, @ScottishLabour has turned to rubble.

“We need time and space to get this right before we lose more members and activists and there’s no one left to lead.”

Since the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, Labour’s number of MSPs has dropped at every election, seeing them go from leading a government coalition in the early years at Holyrood with 56 seats to just the 17 won this May.

Ms Lennon’s comments come as Mr Fagan said community wealth building “should be at the heart of Labour’s approach to public services and economic renewal”.

“Public money should support local jobs, local businesses, co-operatives and supply chains, keeping more wealth in the communities where it is created,” the former leader of South Lanarkshire Council said.

“As a council leader, I saw what happens when local government is trusted to lead. We protected services, backed workers and used the power of the council to invest in communities and create opportunity.

“Scottish Labour must become the party of strong public services, strong local government and strong communities again.”

Mr Marra has pledged to devolve power to local members, vowing to give party activists the “influence and resources to act”.

He said: “My commitment to the spirit and practice of devolution is absolute. The transfer of power will begin under my leadership, with members, trade unions and affiliates as partners in determining how the reforms work throughout Scotland.

“Scottish Labour has gone backwards in all six Scottish Parliament elections since devolution began. May’s defeat is raw for all of us.

“We must confront the long-term political and organisational factors behind that decline and make the lasting changes required to rebuild and renew our party.

“We must confront those hard long-term questions facing us as we unite and renew our party.”