Exclusive:Inside Labour's selection war as Jackie Baillie accused of obstructing left-wing MSPs

Scottish Labour is embroiled in a selection row amid allegations about the influence of deputy leader Jackie Baillie.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie has been accused of wielding “absolute power” within the party hierarchy amid claims the leadership is attempting to put up barriers to obstruct left-wing MSPs from standing at next year’s election.

Insiders have pointed to an alleged move to favour Michael Marra, the party’s finance spokesperson, who is seen as a potential replacement for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar if the party slumps to defeat at next year’s election.

Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie

Sources have also told how Monica Lennon, who challenged Mr Sarwar for the leadership in 2021, is being left “without a route” to stand for re-election next year - with her seen as out of favour with the leadership.

On Wednesday, Mr Marra won what insiders have branded a “bitter” selection battle to stand for the party in the Dundee West constituency at next year’s Holyrood election.

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But it came at the expense of Mr Marra’s fellow sitting North East regional list MSP Mercedes Villalba, who lost out with around one third of votes.

Row over Dundee selection battle

A Scottish Labour source has claimed the party's deputy leader, in her role as chair of a powerful sub-committee of the party’s Scottish Executive Committee (SEC), “controls everything”.

Speaking to The Scotsman, the source said: “The way it works is that the party's important business such as selections, election campaigns and appointments to senior party jobs etc are run by sub-committees of the Scottish Executive Committee, and they are always chaired by Jackie Baillie.

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“Jackie controls everything. Being deputy leader instead of leader insulates her from taking responsibility for things and in practice allows for absolute power.

“As with other constituencies, the selections for Dundee City East and Dundee City West were to be twinned. Mysteriously, the Labour party's Scottish Executive Committee reversed their initial decision and have un-twinned the constituencies.

Michael Marra and Anas Sarwar | Jane Barlow/PA Wire

“The selections have instead run separately and concurrently, meaning that if a candidate applied for Dundee City West they could not be the candidate for Dundee City East whereas if the constituencies were twinned they would.”

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But the Scottish Labour leadership has refuted the claims against Dame Jackie and any allegation of the selection process being rigged.

However, it is understood Ms Lennon, along with other sitting MSPs, thought to include Sarah Boyack and Foysol Choudhury, are yet to clear the selection process, chaired by Dame Jackie.

A senior Scottish Labour source branded the allegations as “sour grapes”.

When selections are opened by Scottish Labour, party members can put themselves forward before the SEC sub-committee, chaired by Dame Jackie. Interview candidates are also vetted.

Once candidates are approved by the committee, the party produces a long list of candidates for seats. The party often twins seats and produces a gender balanced list of four men and four women to compete for the two seats.

Left-wing Labour MSP misses out

In a twinned seat, the person who wins the vote in the male section and female section gets to represent the party in the two seats with whoever comes first, getting first choice of the constituency they want.

For the two Dundee seats, The Scotsman understands that only three candidates emerged - Mr Marra, Ms Villalba and Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank.

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Scottish Labour chiefs have insisted the party could not have created a twinned shortlist with those three candidates without Mr Marra winning the male list by default and being selected unopposed.

It is claimed the SEC sub-committee, chaired by Dame Jackie, decided to split the selections into two independent selections, with the candidates free to pick which of the two seats they wanted to fight for.

But Ms Villalba was not made aware that Mr Marra had also chosen the Dundee West seat to contest, while Ms Cruickshank ran unopposed to be selected for the Dundee East seat.

Lennon yet to find path for re-selection

A separate Scottish Labour source has claimed the party leadership is making it difficult for Ms Lennon, a former frontbencher, to stand again at next year’s election.

Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon. Picture: Getty Images

Ms Lennon is seen as a potential candidate to replace Mr Sarwar if he is forced to step down if Labour loses the Holyrood election. However, she is from the left-wing of the party, as is Ms Villalba.

In 2021, Ms Lennon stood in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency, but was unable to put herself forward for the by-election taking place in that seat next month without resigning as a regional list MSP.

Scottish Labour has selected Davy Russell to stand in the crunch by-election contest.

The Labour source said: “Monica isn't sure if she will be able to stand next year. At the moment she still wants to stand, but she's not a candidate.

“There wasn't really a route for her to put herself forward for the by-election in the seat she was the candidate in 2021. It would have involved her resigning from Parliament.

“If Davy wins, he will be the candidate next time. If he doesn't win, I think there's a good chance he'll still be the candidate next time. If there hadn't been a by-election, I think there would have been a pretty good chance Monica would have been the candidate for Hamilton. That looks like that's off the table now.

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“There's a (SEC) sub-committee that deals with selections. But it's basically Jackie Baillie that decides selection stuff. Monica is pretty much at the stage that whatever will come will be.”

SNP MSP Rona Mackay, said: "While Labour’s establishment are busy infighting over Anas Sarwar’s replacement before a single vote has even been cast in next year’s election, the SNP is focused on delivering in government and on earning the support of Scottish voters."

A Scottish Labour Spokesperson said: “Labour candidates are selected by the votes of local members who select the person they believe should represent them. All selections are carried out in line with rules and procedures agreed and overseen by Scottish Labour’s Executive Committee.”

Ms Villalba and Ms Lennon did not respond to requests for comment.