Kezia Dugdale: I won’t quit if we lose to the Tories

Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has pledged that she won’t quit if the party finishes third behind the Tories in the forthcoming Holyrood election.

Both parties are neck and neck in the battle to become the official opposition at Holyrood, the polls indicate, with the Tories on course for their best result since devolution.

Ms Dugdale also faced weekend reports of a potential leadership challenge if she were to finish third next month. Former MP Anas Sarwar, who is likely to become a Glasgow MSP, denied suggestions he could be a contender.

The Labour leader said she didn’t believe her party would finish behind the Tories.

But she added; “Even if that were to happen, I would absolutely continue in post. I’ve always said that I have a long-term plan to turn around the fortunes of the Scottish Labour party. I’ve just started that work.”

Ms Dugdale went on: “I’ve said right from the very beginning that the Labour party’s problems didn’t happen overnight and they wouldn’t be fixed overnight.”