Scottish Labour leadership: Edinburgh MSP Daniel Johnson says strategic questions must be at heart of contest to replace Anas Sarwar
Anas Sarwar set to join UK Government with seat in House of Lords
Scottish Labour needs to consider "fundamental strategic questions" as part of the leadership contest sparked by Anas Sarwar's move to the House of Lords, Edinburgh MSP Daniel Johnson has said.
Mr Johnson is one of a number of senior Labour figures seen as potential candidates to take over from Mr Sarwar when he quits as leader and leaves Holyrood to serve as a Trade Minister in Andy Burnham's new UK government, with a seat in the Lords.
North East Scotland MSP Michael Marra is the early favourite for the job. Monica Lennon, who lost her seat at the Holyrood election in May, is said to be keen to stand and she will return as an MSP once Mr Sarwar stands down, because she was next on the regional list.
But there is a question over when that will happen and whether it will be in time for her to enter the contest. Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney is also mentioned, but it is not clear if he wishes to stand.
Mr Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern since 2016, did not rule out standing. But he told the Evening News: "I think we need to get the more fundamental strategic questions right.
"We've just mounted a huge election campaign where we fell short and I think we really need to ask ourselves why. There were significant levels of dissatisfaction with the SNP and yet they didn't vote Labour. I think that needs us to do some quite deep introspection.
"We will have to have a leadership contest, but making sure that that is what is fundamentally at the heart of that process rather than personalities is much more important to me."
At the May 7 elections, Labour ended up in joint second place with Reform with 17 seats, five down on the 2021 election result, while the victorious SNP finished with 54, six fewer than 2021.
Labour’s poor performance was blamed largely on the unpopularity of former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. But there were also criticisms of the campaign and the party’s Scottish Executive Committee is currently conducting a review.
Other parties were quick to criticise Mr Sarwar’s appointment to the Lords.
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said: “This is a terrible look for Andy Burnham who waxed lyrical about a new politics and devolving power - he’s just pulled the most undemocratic trick in the Westminster book. Anas Sarwar led Scottish Labour to their worst ever election defeat, but as is always the case with the Labour Party, there’s always a cushty number in the House of Lords.”
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay pointed to previous comments by Mr Sarwar opposing the unelected House of Lords. She said: “Anas Sarwar is a chancer. He has gone from promising to scrap the House of Lords to taking a seat in it. He has spent years attacking the very institution he is now preparing to join. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.”