Analysis: Experienced party stalwart - but is that a good thing?

LABOUR’S deputy leader joined the battle to take over from Iain Gray with a pledge to make the party “fit for purpose”.Johann Lamont, a former teacher with more than a decade of experience as an MSP, was the last candidate to launch her leadership campaign.

She is widely seen as the Labour establishment candidate, prompting sceptics to point out that she has been at the heart of the Labour machine during its recent demise. But she believes her experience makes her the best candidate to turn around the party’s fortunes and start the process of rebuilding.

She outlined promises to change the party structure, following its defeat in May, with ideas such as including non-MSPs in the party’s “shadow cabinet”.

Ms Lamont may be the MSP for Glasgow Pollock but her family hails from the Western Isles and she has spoken fondly of her Gaelic heritage during the campaign. She is married and has two young children.

She has pledged to win over voters outside Labour’s traditional heartlands. Her stated priorities are to tackle youth unemployment, expand the economy and provide support for carers.

Ms Lamont launched her Labour leadership campaign in Stirling and called on the SNP to get on with holding its independence referendum – even though she accepted Scots may vote to quit the union.

She received the most nominations of the leadership candidates, securing the backing of 27 MSPs, MPs and MEPs. She also has the most support from trade unions, other affiliates and party members.

Ms Lamont had a stint as deputy communities minister in 2004 and deputy justice minister in 2006, while Labour was in power. She has served on the equal opportunities committee, the local government committee, the education committee, the social justice committee and the communities committee.

Before being elected in 1999, she was a classroom teacher for 20 years. Her most recent post was at the Education Social Work Project in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow, and she is a member of the EIS union.

Ms Lamont joined Labour as a student and served on the party’s executive committee in Scotland for several years. She became party chair in 1993.

In her free time she is a runner, regularly taking part in half-marathons.