In extraordinary times

Ahead of a crucial executive meeting of Scottish Labour this Saturday morning (May 16), Unite has said that the party’s best chance of a recovery requires Jim Murphy doing the ‘decent thing’ and resigning his leadership.

In a week where Scottish Labour’s Chief of Staff John McTernan and a small number of elected representatives moved publicly to lock-down debate on the ex-MP for East Renfrewshire’s future, MSPs and trade unions have called for Murphy to resign for the future well-being of the party after the disastrous general election campaign.

Unite believes this will allow Scottish Labour the necessary breathing space to conduct essential policy and strategic reform, and to pursue a unified agenda going forward into 2016, while offsetting any fears over the distraction a fifth leadership race in seven years would create.

“The only decent thing that Jim can do now is to resign and give deputy leader Kezia Dugdale a clear run at re-building and reforming Scottish Labour so it can avoid a constituency wipe-out in 2016,” commented Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty.

“Jim has been at the nerve- centre of Scottish politics for a generation but he is synonymous with the past and after the general election catastrophe – Labour’s worst performance in Scotland for nearly a century – he needs to go so we can look to the future.

“These are extraordinary times for Scottish Labour requiring urgent measures, which is why, as the party’s rules permit, Kezia should now step-up to lead a process of recovery and reform that can restore stability and unity to Scottish Labour.”