A consensus is emerging that Scottish Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale
should replace Jim Murphy unopposed.
Her supporters point not only to her performances at First Minister’s
Questions, but argue that the party does not need another leadership contest
five months after the last one.
Their preference was for Murphy to lead Labour into the next year’s Holyrood
poll – due to the belief that it is
almost unwinnable – but the leader’s resignation has scuppered this plan.
However, I understand close Murphy ally Ken Macintosh MSP is mulling
over a possible run.
Macintosh went for the job in 2011 and lost to Johann Lamont.
Ironically, Dugdale was one of his supporters.
This is setting tongues wagging for a number of reasons.
Given Macintosh’s closeness to Murphy, does the latter approve of the
former’s leadership ambitions?
And would, as some party insiders fear, Murphy be an influential figure if
Macintosh won?
As a caveat, I understand Ken would not stand if Kez did.
Even so, Labour Kremlinologists should look at Murphy’s exit speech on Saturday for
a few clues.
Other than resigning, he said he would bring forward a bold set of
internal reforms to transform his party.
No detail was offered, apart from numerous references to why there must be
one-member-one-vote (OMOV) for future contests.
If Murphy believed there was going to be a coronation, why would he major
on the rules and terms of a contest?
His focus on OMOV is interesting for another reason.
In December, he told me OMOV was already a done deal in Scotland, following the party’s Collins Review.
“The Scottish Labour party already agreed to make these
changes,” he said. “The unions voted for it north and south of the border”.
Despite saying five months ago that OMOV had been pushed through, Murphy
is now trying to make it the centrepiece of his reform agenda.
One final thought on Macintosh’s previous attempt at securing
the leadership.
Although Lamont triumphed in the electoral college, she did
not win the section for party members, whose views would prevail in a OMOV
system.
The members voted for Ken.
