unews
Bernard Ponsonby asks if Scottish Labour can ever hope to recapture its postition of dominance north of the border in the first of a new series for STV News.
Current party leader Richard Leonard is facing calls to stand down, with two of his frontbench team quitting and another two of his MSPs saying change at the helm is needed. He was elected to his role in 2017, after predecessor Kezia Dugdale stepped down, but the party is currently third in opinion polls in Scotland, behind both the SNP and the Tories.
However, Leonard believes the party’s best chance in the Scottish elections is to unite behind his leadership. STV special correspondent Bernard Ponsonby says: “That Richard Leonard isn’t cutting it with the public is palpably obvious given the party’s dire ratings.”
His parliamentary performances have come under criticism but, Ponsonby adds, Scottish Labour’s malaise goes beyond leadership. He asks those who want him gone: “What makes you think anyone else will do any better?
