MP ‘to run for Labour leader’ and urges big names to follow suit attacks lack of rivals

The lack of Scottish Labour leadership hopefuls coming forward is “damaging the party”, a leading MP has warned as he became the first to throw his hat into the ring.

But former transport minister Tom Harris also called on Westminster heavyweights Jim Murphy and Douglas Alexander to join him in the leadership contest – more than three months after Iain Gray announced he would be quitting.

The new leader is likely to be chosen in late November after an internal review into the future of the party north of the Border being carried out by Mr Murphy and MSP Sarah Boyack.

Mr Harris said yesterday: “I think this amount of time after the election when we did so badly, it is truly bizarre and very damaging to the party not having a leadership campaign.”

He added: “I am raising the possibility – the very slim possibility of my candidacy – because there are ideas that I have that I think the party should at least be debating, because by the time the next Scottish Parliament elections come up in 2016, we need to know what type of party Scottish Labour will be.”

The review is expected to back the appointment of a Scottish leader of the party – a different role from Mr Gray’s current position as leader of the Labour MSPs at Holyrood – and the possibility of a Westminster MP filling this role. Mr Harris said this would be no different from Alex Salmond leading the SNP as an MP for two years, prior to his return to Holyrood.

“The bigger the net and the bigger the range of candidates, the more likely it is that we’re going to get someone who will be able to appeal far, far beyond the realms of the traditional Labour vote,” Mr Harris said.

“I personally hope that Jim Murphy and Douglas Alexander throw their hats into the ring, but whoever becomes leader will obviously have to announce their intention to stand for Holyrood in 2016.”

Hugh Henry, who was touted as a potential leader before ruling himself out, has backed the prospect of candidate from Westminster becoming leader.

The Renfrewshire South MSP said: “What Labour needs to do is find the right person regardless of where they are just now.

“I realise there could be difficulties in choosing someone from outside the Scottish Parliament, but there is a precedent because the SNP have done it.

“Much more significantly, Labour needs to sort out its values, establish what it believes in and stands for and to persuade people in Scotland we have relevance. Also we need to get away from the idea that Iain Gray was solely responsible for the defeat in May – he wasn’t solely responsible. There are wider issues that need to be addressed.”

Nationalist James Dornan said the Labour leadership election is now turning into an “embarrassing fiasco, and added: “The dearth of talent in Labour’s Holyrood group is a real problem. Voters across Scotland want a party run from Holyrood – not a party consumed by infighting like Labour.”