Jeremy Corbyn Says "No Doubt" Over Who Is In Charge Of Scottish Labour
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted there is ``no question'' of him usurping Scottish Labour's new leader.
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted there is no question'' of him usurping Scottish Labour's new leader.
The veteran left-winger will use his first visit to Scotland since being elected UK Labour leader to pledge to work alongside Kezia Dugdale.
Johann Lamont, who led Scottish Labour during the referendum campaign, claimed party bosses in London regarded Scotland as a branch office'' when she was in charge.
Mr Corbyn, though, has already stated he and Ms Dugdale are working fine together''.
He insisted: Under my leadership there will be no question about who is in charge of the Scottish Labour Party.
Kezia Dugdale is leader of our party in Scotland and I will be working alongside her to win back support for Labour.''
Mr Corbyn will have talks with Ms Dugdale and other Labour MSPs at Holyrood today, as well as meeting Scottish trade union leaders, council leaders and local Labour activists.
He said: Kez has said that she wants to make absolutely clear what the Labour Party stands for and who we stand with. That is also my mission across the UK.''
In May's general election, Labour lost all but one of the 41 seats it had won in 2010 as Nicola Sturgeon's SNP swept the board, taking 56 of the 59 constituencies north of the border.
The new leader has already claimed Labour's demise in Scotland was caused in part by its involvement in the cross-party Better Together campaign, as well as its failure to offer an alternative to austerity.
Speaking in advance of his visit, he said: Too many people have told me that they think the Labour Party lost its way.
We need to win back their trust by showing them exactly what difference a Labour government would make to their lives.
The stakes are high for Scotland. People can't afford a Tory government whose policies are making people work harder for less or an SNP government that is intent on having the arguments of the past rather than looking to the future.
It's time for a Labour government that would put our young people first and make sure that we are narrowing the gap between the richest and the rest.''
Meanwhile, the SNP called for Mr Corbyn to use his visit to Scotland to end what they said was chaos and confusion'' within Labour over Trident.
It comes after Mr Corbyn said he would not push the nuclear button if he was prime minister - a stance questioned by some Labour figures.
SNP depute leader Stewart Hosie said: Labour's position on Trident has become utterly indefensible.
After days of chaos and infighting, Jeremy Corbyn must use his trip to Scotland to make clear whether he is leading Labour - or whether Labour is leading him.
Jeremy Corbyn needs to be straight with the people of Scotland - will Labour oppose Trident nuclear weapons on our shores, or simply allow the Tories to go ahead with this outdated and unwanted project.
The longer Labour remain such a deeply divided party, the less chance they have of providing any effective opposition to the Tories. On two key issues of Corbyn's campaign - nuclear weapons and austerity - the divisions in the Labour party will allow the Tories to steam roller through their cuts to social security and the spending of £100 billion of nuclear weapons.''