Scottish Labour is to begin the hunt for its fourth leader in less than three years after Kezia Dugdale’s shock resignation.
Ms Dugdale stepped down on Tuesday with immediate effect, saying her party needed “a new leader with fresh energy, drive and a new mandate” to take it into the next Holyrood elections in 2021.
Despite her differences with Jeremy Corbyn – against whom she campaigned in the 2016 Labour leadership contest – Ms Dugdale denied suggestions that she had quit before being pushed by the left wing.
And she insisted she left the party “in better shape than I found it”, after taking on the job in the wake of the 2015 general election, which saw Labour lose all but one of its MPs in Scotland while the SNP enjoyed a landslide victory.
Ms Dugdale, 36, is the third Scottish Labour leader to have resigned since the 2014 independence referendum, with predecessors Johann Lamont and Jim Murphy both having stood down, while Anas Sarwar and Iain Gray have also served as acting leader since the vote on Scotland’s future.
Mr Corbyn paid tribute to her, saying: “I’d like to thank Kezia Dugdale for her work as Scottish Labour leader and the important role she has played in rebuilding the party in Scotland.
(Andrew Milligan/PA)
“Kezia became Scottish leader at one of the most difficult times in the history of the Scottish Labour Party, and the party’s revival is now fully under way, with six new MPs and many more to come.”
Labour managed to win back some of the seats it had lost to Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP in the June 2017 snap general election, with the party now having seven MPs from Scotland.
With the constitution having defined Scottish politics in recent years, Ms Dugdale has sought to give Labour a distinct position and the party now supporting a federal UK.
She also pressed Scottish ministers to use new powers over income tax north of the border to raise extra revenue, calling for a return of the 50p top tax rate for high earners and a 1p rise in the basic rate.
Ms Dugdale announced that she was quitting days after Mr Corbyn finished a high-profile tour of Scotland, including an appearance at the famous Edinburgh Fringe arts festival.
She had backed his opponent, Owen Smith, in the 2016 leadership contest, and voted for Yvette Cooper in the 2015 election which saw Mr Corbyn take charge of the party.
But since his re-election as leader she had publicly backed him, supporting his bid to become prime minister in June.
Her resignation came the day after her birthday, with Ms Dugdale saying being leader had been “a difficult but fulfilling challenge”.
In her letter to Scottish Labour Party chairwoman Linda Stewart, she stated: “Too often our leaders leave in a crisis, with scores to settle. I love this party too much for that to be my way. There will be no press conference and no off-the-record briefing in my name.
“I choose to stand down because I believe it is best for me and best for Scottish Labour, at a time when we can be positive and optimistic about our future.”
Ms Dugdale will continue as an MSP for the Lothian region, with deputy leader Alex Rowley set to take charge of the party in Scotland until her successor is found.