Kezia Dugdale backtracks on Jeremy Corbyn criticism

Kezia Dugdale has been accused of a 'spectacular flip-flop'. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland, Ms Dugdale said she was excited by Mr Corbyn’s campaign as he edges towards victory in the UK Labour contest. Her remarks led to her opponents claiming that she had changed her view on the leadership front-runner.

Previously, Ms Dugdale suggested in an interview that Mr Corbyn was not Prime Ministerial material and if the Left-winger was successful, Labour would be left “carping on the sidelines”.

Challenged about her remarks on Good Morning Scotland, Ms Dugdale said: “That is hardly the most critical thing that anybody has said about his campaign. I am excited about his campaign and many people across the country are.”

Ms Dugdale mad ecomments recently in which she suggested that Jeremy Corbyn was not prime minister material. Picture: Getty

Ms Dugdale declined to say if she would be voting for the left-winger.

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She was then asked if her willingness to sign up to Labour’s fiscal charter during the General Election campaign put her at odds with Mr Corbyn’s anti-austerity views.

She replied: “I don’t think our politics are wildly different. I think that I and Jeremy Corbyn share the same views when it comes to trying to build a fairer, more equal, economy, in trying to build a welfare state in a system that is fair and protects people who need our help.”

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: “This is a quite spectacular flip-flop from Kezia Dugdale.

“Only last week she was attacking Mr Corbyn by warning that a Labour party led by him would be ‘carping from the sidelines’.

“Now she says that they ‘share the same views’.

“What appears to have changed her mind is the dawning realisation that Mr Corbyn is heading for a landslide victory and she needs to get on board if she’s going to win her own election campaign.”