Kezia Dugdale Resignation

[Celyn]

BBC reports that she has resigned as leader of the Labour party in Scotland.
Kezia Dugdale quits as Scottish Labour leader - BBC News

Kezia Dugdale has resigned as leader of Scottish Labour, saying it is time to "pass on the baton" to someone else.

The Lothians MSP has previously criticised UK leader Jeremy Corbyn, and has faced criticism from left-wing members of her own party.

She insisted she was leaving the party in a much better state than she had found it.

But she said a new leader was needed with "fresh energy, drive and a new mandate".

Ms Dugdale said she wanted to give her successor the "space and time" to prepare for the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021.

And she strongly denied suggestions that she was leaving now in order to avoid being pushed out by supporters of Mr Corbyn.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Scotland's political editor, Brian Taylor, she said she had taken over the leadership when the party was "on its knees" in Scotland.
...

Well, that's interesting. I wonder why, exactly.

 

[Sue]

BBC reports that she has resigned as leader of the Labour party in Scotland.
Kezia Dugdale quits as Scottish Labour leader - BBC News



Well, that's interesting. I wonder why, exactly.

Yep. Wonder what the real story is.

 

[geminisnake]

The real story might have something to do with the abysmal visit to Scotland this weekend I think JC is used to a crowd, not a rent a mob and I think she also fed him loads of SNP bad shite and he swallowed it, spouted some stuff and looked like a twat
I've been mostly laughing for over 1/2 hr

Have a look on twitter(hubby was telling me bits) ladies

Also leaving with 'her head held high'? Do me a favour love Shit, I shouldn't have thought of that, I wanna sleep soon

 

[Celyn]

I have previously wondered if someone was deliberately briefing him badly about Scottish things, given some of the stuff he got wrong before. Not that I can really see precisely *why* they would, but ... oh god alone knows. Wheels within wheels, carping on the sidelines ...

 

[Sue]

So, who's going to accept the poisoned chalice next? And will they last more than five minutes? (I've lost track of how many they've got through in recent years.)

 

[danny la rouge]

The "with immediate effect" bit is what makes me interested. It's more usual to wait until a replacement is found.

 

[kebabking]

I have previously wondered if someone was deliberately briefing him badly about Scottish things, given some of the stuff he got wrong before. Not that I can really see precisely *why* they would, but ... oh god alone knows. Wheels within wheels, carping on the sidelines ...

while i don't doubt that Dugdale and the rest of the SLP machinery would be happy to see Corbyn make an arse of himself, i think we'd have to ask whether Corbyn, and Team Corbyn, actually take advice from Dugdale et al?

they ran, obviously very successfully, a GE campaign effectively independantly of the LP machine just 3 months ago - i don't see them changing a winning formula given the very public hostility between the two sets of apparatus...

 

[Wilf]

Well, that was a shock. I'm reduced to ferretting around on the guardian website to see why she went a.k.a haven't got a clue. They are hinting at the forces of Corbynism taking over in the SLP, which seems like a stretch to me despite Corbyn's apparently successful tour. Her relationship with an SNP MSP must have been a bit difficult to manage. In some ways it would have been a sign of the maturity of Scottish politics if they could have managed it - you certainly couldn't imagine, say, a Labour MP and Liberal MP couple in England working out.

 

[geminisnake]

they ran, obviously very successfully, a GE campaign effectively independantly of the LP machine just 3 months ago - i don't see them changing a winning formula given the very public hostility between the two sets of apparatus...

Eh??? WTF??? SLab came THIRD for the first time in feck knows how long, if ever in Scotland. That is not what I would call successful. Where did you get your info from?
She's a balloon! She told Labour voters to vote TORY FFS!! And they did hence why we now have Tory MPs Second time I have been totally disgusted with my countrymen in 4 yrs

 

[butchersapron]

That claim about telling labour voters to vote tory has been discredited numerous times now hasn't it?

 

[danny la rouge]

That claim about telling labour voters to vote tory has been discredited numerous times now hasn't it?

The footage of her apparently saying so in the Borders is certainly fevered interpretation.

But local constituency activists over the country did say so. The local Labour Party in Stirling had senior local figures advising a Tory vote. Alastair Weir, the vice chair, went on record advising it in the local paper and local radio.

So while the Dugdale "quote" is dubious, the attitude was prevalent. That's why the quote is believed: it's believable.

 

[danny la rouge]

He wrote a letter to the Stirling Observer, which I'll find presently, no doubt, but all I can see for now is this report:

Tories are the only party 'that will stand up for Scotland', says Stirling Labour vice chair

 

[kebabking]

Eh??? WTF??? SLab came THIRD for the first time in feck knows how long, if ever in Scotland. That is not what I would call successful.

they got significantly more votes than expected when the GE was called...

Where did you get your info from?

my ability to count the number of Lab MP's in August 2017 and then contrast it with the number of Lab MP's there were in May 2017.

 

[danny la rouge]

they got significantly more votes than expected when the GE was called...

They got more MPs than widely expected. Their actual vote didn't rise by very much. (FPTP weirdness).

 

[bemused]

my ability to count the number of Lab MP's in August 2017 and then contrast it with the number of Lab MP's there were in May 2017.

This legit made me lol

 

[pogofish]

Maybe the SNP have made Kezia the offer they should have given her years ago - They were her first choice after all..!

 

[ska invita]

The "with immediate effect" bit is what makes me interested. It's more usual to wait until a replacement is found.

the gossip ive heard is that with Kezia out the way her deputy (whose name i forget) takes over, who just so happens to be pro-Corbyn and who just so happens to now have a seat on the NEC. Or something like that...

 

[danny la rouge]

the gossip ive heard is that with Kezia out the way her deputy (whose name i forget) takes over, who just so happens to be pro-Corbyn and who just so happens to now have a seat on the NEC. Or something like that...

Alex Rowley was her deputy. He becomes caretaker leader. That's not really gossip. He's a Gordon Brown ally, so not really a Corbynite, although he is a union favourite. Neil Findlay is sometimes called a Corbynite, but he backed Dugdale for leadership (so not sure how Corbynite that makes him), and he's ruled himself out anyway.

But that doesn't really address why Dugdale is leaving with immediate effect. Certainly not so Rowley could be caretaker until the leadership contest; that doesn't really make sense.

 

[ska invita]

Alex Rowley was her deputy. He becomes caretaker leader. That's not really gossip. He's a Gordon Brown ally, so not really a Corbynite, although he is a union favourite. Neil Findlay is sometimes called a Corbynite, but he backed Dugdale for leadership (so not sure how Corbynite that makes him), and he's ruled himself out anyway.

But that doesn't really address why Dugdale is leaving with immediate effect. Certainly not so Rowley could be caretaker until the leadership contest; that doesn't really make sense.

the "gossip" being that there was some level of orchestration to get her out with the effect of a friendlier person now in on the NEC, possibly ahead of Conference and upcoming votes etc? Im not sure if thats how it works.
Clearly gossip is too strong a strong word - more a casual remark i heard which i didn't follow up on to ask more in all honesty. I haven't been engaging with this but thought Id share it anyway

 

[Beermoth]

Well, that's interesting. I wonder why, exactly.

Wasn't very good, failed to galvanise the masses, realised she was out of her depth? Not sure there's much more to it than that tbh

 

[Sasaferrato]

Well, that was a shock. I'm reduced to ferretting around on the guardian website to see why she went a.k.a haven't got a clue. They are hinting at the forces of Corbynism taking over in the SLP, which seems like a stretch to me despite Corbyn's apparently successful tour. Her relationship with an SNP MSP must have been a bit difficult to manage. In some ways it would have been a sign of the maturity of Scottish politics if they could have managed it - you certainly couldn't imagine, say, a Labour MP and Liberal MP couple in England working out.

The uber Corbynista, Neil Findlay, whom I know quite well, has declared he won't be running. That does surprise me.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Alex Rowley was her deputy. He becomes caretaker leader. That's not really gossip. He's a Gordon Brown ally, so not really a Corbynite, although he is a union favourite. Neil Findlay is sometimes called a Corbynite, but he backed Dugdale for leadership (so not sure how Corbynite that makes him), and he's ruled himself out anyway.

But that doesn't really address why Dugdale is leaving with immediate effect. Certainly not so Rowley could be caretaker until the leadership contest; that doesn't really make sense.

Oh well, in the fullness of time, we will know.

 

[geminisnake]

my ability to count the number of Lab MP's in August 2017 and then contrast it with the number of Lab MP's there were in May 2017.

The previous GE result was unusual, did anyone really expect it to stay that way? I sure as heck didn't

 

[Sasaferrato]

It would seem, according to a news report this morning, that it may have been due to her being 'outed' by a newspaper,without her consent. Add to that that her new partner is an SNP MSP, and you may have the reason.
I doubt if I would vote for a candidate whose partner belonged to an opposing party, I would never be sure where their loyalties lay.

 

[Libertad]

It would seem, according to a news report this morning, that it may have been due to her being 'outed' by a newspaper,without her consent. Add to that that her new partner is an SNP MSP, and you may have the reason.
I doubt if I would vote for a candidate whose partner belonged to an opposing party, I would never be sure where their loyalties lay.

The Fabian Review was that news organ:
The long road: interview with Kezia Dugdale

 

[Poi E]

It would seem, according to a news report this morning, that it may have been due to her being 'outed' by a newspaper,without her consent. Add to that that her new partner is an SNP MSP, and you may have the reason.
I would never be sure where their loyalties lay.

Well, with one of them, to Scotland.

 

[Teaboy]

From an outsider looking in she seemed to have dreadful politics. She struck me as the face of everything that is wrong with Scottish Labour. The impression I got was that any success Scottish Labour had at the last election was in spite of her not because of her.

Also there was something distinctly hooky about that exchange with Nicola Sturgeon in that debate. I got the strong impression Sturgeon was telling the truth and Dugdale's pants were well alight on national tele.

 

[Ole]

Richard Leonard tipped as favourite for Scottish Labour leader

 

[Poi E]

Guess she was reading her partner's literature. A fiver says she's a nascent indy supporter.

 

[redsquirrel]

Crying about Corbyn today the twat.

I blame David Cameron for calling a referendum no one wanted in the first place but I also blame my party, the Labour Party, for a totally lazy and lacklustre Remain campaign that got us here.

And yes, I blame Jeremy Corbyn too for failing to use the power of his popular appeal to convince traditional Labour voters to see that Europe creates more good than harm.

Not only that, now the country has spoken, I’m embarrassed by the complete paucity of my party to say and do the right thing no matter how hard or unpopular that might be at first.

Seriously, Labour have just denied their own members a meaningful vote on the issue of Brexit at party conference – whatever happened to straight-talking, honest politics ...

I have long believed that Labour should be making a full-hearted, passionate case to retain full tariff-free access to the single market – the equivalent of membership. And we should accept all the conditions that come with that, including the free movement of labour.

Which is utterly disingenuous as it was Labour delegates that decided that EU would not be discussed at the conference.