REACTION: Scottish Labour leadership
Reacting to the result of the Scottish Labour leadership election, Green co-leader Gillian Mackay said:
“After Anas Sarwar ran away from the mess he created for a seat in the unelected House of Lords, Scottish Labour is changing its leader without changing direction.
“Scottish Labour needs far more than Michael Marra before it will be taken seriously again. As one of the architects of the manifesto that delivered Labour its worst-ever Holyrood result, he cannot credibly present himself as the fresh start the party needs.
“His support for further North Sea oil and gas development also shows us that Scottish Labour still looks backwards. More drilling will do nothing to cut household bills, but it will lock us into fossil fuels while handing further profits to multinational energy companies. Scottish Labour’s new leadership wants to keep Scotland tied to an industry that is already costing workers jobs by failing to deliver a fair transition.
“With Scottish Labour having just had the worst election results in their history, it is clear that replacing one leader with another is not enough to rebuild public trust. That will require new ideas, political courage and a willingness to stand up to the fossil-fuel giants, not yet another Scottish Labour shaped cheerleader for them.
“Wherther it is standing up for workers rights, tackling the cost of living crisis or supporting our climate, it is clear that the Scottish Greens are the only party with a bold and positive vision for people and planet.”