Gray elected Labour leader as Harper stands down from Greens

Published on Saturday 13 September 2008 11:14

EAST Lothian MSP Iain Gray has been elected the new leader of the Scottish Labour party.

The result of the ballot triggered by Wendy Alexander's resignation in June was announced at the party's Glasgow headquarters.

Mr Gray, who served as enterprise minister in Labour's first Scottish administration, defeated rival candidates Cathy Jamieson and Andy Kerr.

MSP Johann Lamont was chosen as Mr Gray's deputy following the vote by parliamentarians, party members and unions.

Speaking after the result was announced, Mr Gray, 51, said it was time to "close the manifesto" on which Labour fought and lost the 2007 Scottish election and move forward.

The news comes as Lothians MSP Robin Harper announced he is to stand down as leader of the Scottish Greens.

And he did not plan to continue as an MSP beyond the next Holyrood elections in 2011.

Mr Harper, who became Britain's first Green parliamentarian when he was elected in the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999, is Scotland's longest-serving party leader. But he said he would quit his co-convener post later this year to give a new leader time to bed in before 2011.

He said: "I am happy to announce that I will not be putting my name forward for re-election for co-convener of the party for 2008-2009.

"However, I am not retiring in any sense whatsoever, and will continue to serve the people of the Lothians, who have backed me at all three Scottish Parliament elections.

"I shall continue to work just as hard inside Parliament and outside, and to promote Green politics in the media and throughout civic Scotland.

"Though I would dearly love to spend more time with my wife, and for that matter with myself, I expect to see few changes to my lifestyle for the moment."

Mr Harper, a former modern studies teacher at Boroughmuir High School, was the Greens' "principal speaker" until 2004, when the party switched to having two co-conveners, one male and one female. And for the past year, he has shared the leadership with Edinburgh councillor Alison Johnstone.

His successor will be chosen by a one-member-one-vote ballot following the party conference next weekend, with the result expected in November.

Mr Harper said: "Before the last election I made up my mind that I did not wish to stand for a fourth term in the Scottish Parliament, so the earlier we reorganise around a new co-convener team the better."

But he hinted that it might be time for the party to reconsider the co-convener system, saying his decision to stand down would make that easier.