Lord Foulkes wants Labour to be renamed and a 'powerful saviour' found to lead party

ONE of Scottish Labour's most senior figures has called for the party to be renamed in the wake of its disastrous Holyrood election campaign.

Former UK government minister Lord Foulkes also wants to see a joint leadership team of the party in Scotland involving an MSP and MP to end the search for "one obvious, powerful saviour" in the aftermath of Labour's drubbing in May's election.

The Labour peer wants to replace the Scottish party's general secretary's role, with that of a chief executive officer, a move thought to be based on the model of the SNP, where Peter Murrell holds the position.

Lord Foulkes made the proposals for a radical shake-up in a written submission to Scottish Labour's root and branch review of structure and policy, which is being headed by shadow defence secretary and former Scottish secretary Jim Murphy and Labour MSP Sarah Boyack.

He says that the name "Scottish Labour Party" was that used by the breakaway party in the 1970s and that "the Labour Party of Scotland" is better and more positive.

The former MP and MSP also says that the party's HQ should be moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

The Labour grandee is calling for a "six strong praesidium" for the party leadership to be shared by a Scottish MP, MSP, councillor, a women's representative, a trade union official and a youth member.