SNP bate Labour over lack of party leadership

THE SNP last night accused Scottish Labour of being run by a “lame duck leader” as the process of replacing Iain Gray at the helm continues to drag on.

With just over a fortnight to go before the Scottish Parliament resumes for a new term, the Nationalists taunted their opponents over their lack of fresh leadership following Labour’s disastrous election performance in May.

Scottish Labour is continuing to await the outcome of an internal review into the party’s leadership which will be signed off by the party’s annual conference later this autumn.

Only after that will the contest to replace Gray begin, with no candidates, as yet, having confirmed they intend to stand.

Despite speculation that he would not be standing yesterday, MSP Ken MacIntosh said he had not yet decided a course of action.

SNP MSP for Cunninghame North Kenneth Gibson said last night: “Iain Gray is now a lame duck leader.

It will be utterly humiliating for Iain Gray to come back to Holyrood and stand up at First Minister’s Questions when he expected to be replaced, and utterly humiliating for Labour that no one wants to take over from him. Labour should set out before Holyrood comes back who will lead and when they will put a new leader in place and begin to play a part in moving Scotland forward instead of staying in this ridiculous limbo.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Labour party confirmed that the leadership process would continue with a leadership election taking place in due course.