Kezia Dugdale defends leadership after Scottish Labour councils coalition row

Kezia Dugdale has defended her leadership of the Scottish Labour Party amid a claim it is in “meltdown” over council coalitions.

Ms Dugdale criticised the Tories and the SNP, saying it was their “petty” politics that had forced her party into the centre of power-sharing talks across the country.

It follows the suspension of nine councillors in Aberdeen after they defied the wishes of the ruling Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) and went into administration with Conservatives in the city.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley said the SEC had also rejected a possible coalition with the Tories in West Lothian.

Nicola Sturgeon used First Minister's Questions at Holyrood to claim Labour under Ms Dugdale “is in disarray, it is in civil war, it is in meltdown”.

“As leader of the Scottish Labour Party she is not in control of her own party because she can't stop her councillors going into coalition with Tories up and down the country,” Ms Sturgeon said.

Asked at a briefing with journalists whether the actions of the Aberdeen group had undermined her leadership and the party, Ms Dugdale said:

“No, because I've been very clear that they don't act as Labour councillors when they're passing on Tory cuts in Aberdeen.”

Labour has agreed a power-sharing agreement with the SNP to run Fife Council while a proposal for a deal with the nationalists in Edinburgh is expected to come back to the SEC after being initially rejected.

However, Ms Dugdale said there was “categorically no deal with the Tories in North Lanarkshire”.

She said: “The reason that we're in this position and that Labour is at the centre of all these power-sharing talks is because both the SNP and the Tories ruled out dealing with each other two weeks ago in a complete petty political manoeuvre.

“The reality is that it's only the Labour Party that's taking the responsible approach rooted in our values and principles, which are to oppose any deals which involve passing on austerity to communities and that would lead to job losses.

“I think that's the responsible thing to do, it's the Tories and the SNP that have ruled out even talking to each other at a much earlier stage and that's driven entirely by their obsession with their constitution.”

Earlier, Mr Rowley said Labour had been clear “no power-sharing arrangements would be agreed where it would mean increased austerity that will impact on communities, in particular the poorest communities up and down Scotland”.

He said the nine suspended councillors in Aberdeen “broke those rules”.

Barney Crockett, one of the suspended councillors who was appointed Lord Provost as part of the agreement, said the action was “a procedure” they would work through.

He said: “We'll work through it and I'm confident that we will be back in Labour very soon.

“We're still Labour councillors through and through, and I'm sure everything is going to be rectified and will be in good order.”

Ross Thomson, the Tory candidate for Aberdeen South in the General Election, said: “Labour has been plunged into civil war after Kezia Dugdale's reckless decision to suspend all nine councillors in Aberdeen.

“The local group were doing the right thing for the city to provide stability after what has been a difficult time for the local economy.”