LISTEN: Labour needs another leader like Kezia - says Jack McConnell
The former First Minister has been giving his thoughts on Kezia Dugdale's resignation.
Last updated 30th Aug 2017
Former Labour First Minister Lord Jack McConnell says the party needs to choose a new leader who has 'progressive values' and is 'in touch with Scotland and Scottish values'.
He gave his reaction to Kezia Dudgale's resignation and his thoughts on what qualities the party should look for in her replacement in an interview with Rob Waller.
Ms Dugdale, 36, 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, while Anas Sarwar and Iain Gray have also served as acting leader since the vote on Scotland's future.
Labour managed to win back some of the seats it had lost to Nicola Sturgeon's SNP in the June 2017 snap general election, with the party now having seven MPs from Scotland.
Her resignation came the day after her birthday, with Ms Dugdale saying being leader had been "a difficult but fulfilling challenge''
She said her party needed "a new leader with fresh energy, drive and a new mandate'' to take it into the next Holyrood elections in 2021.
Despite her differences with Jeremy Corbyn - against whom she campaigned in the 2016 Labour leadership contest - Ms Dugdale denied suggestions that she had quit before being pushed by the left wing.
Mr Corbyn paid tribute to her, saying: "I'd like to thank Kezia Dugdale for her work as Scottish Labour leader and the important role she has played in rebuilding the party in Scotland.
With the constitution having defined Scottish politics in recent years, Ms Dugdale has sought to give Labour a distinct position and the party now supporting a federal UK.
She had backed his opponent, Owen Smith, in the 2016 leadership contest, and voted for Yvette Cooper in the 2015 election which saw Mr Corbyn take charge of the party.
But since his re-election as leader she had publicly backed him, supporting his bid to become prime minister in June.