Scottish Labour meet to discuss next steps for new leader
Scottish Labour's ruling committee will decide the timing and franchise for electing the party's next leader later.
Last updated 9th Sep 2017
Labour’s executive committee meet in Stirling today for the next step in appointing a successor to Kezia Dugdale, who resigned last week.
Acting leader Alec Rowley, who has ruled himself out of the contest, will make an announcement following the meeting.
Two MSPs are currently in the running for the job - former trade union organiser Richard Leonard who was elected to Holyrood in 2016, and the party's health spokesman and former deputy leader Anas Sarwar.
Central Scotland list MSP Mr Leonard is seen as the left wing candidate in contrast to the more moderate position of Mr Sarwar, who represents Glasgow.
Both leadership hopefuls have praised the UK party leader Jeremy Corbyn, despite Mr Sarwar backing his rival in the last UK leadership election.
Ms Dugdale is the third Scottish Labour leader to have resigned since the 2014 independence referendum, with predecessors Johann Lamont and Jim Murphy both having stood down.
She led the party for two years, taking over in the wake of the near Labour wipeout at the 2015 general election when the party lost all but one of its MPs.