Labour leadership frontrunner changes his tune on Jeremy

A YEAR ago, he backed calls for Jeremy Corbyn to quit.

But yesterday anas sarwar changed his tune as he officially launched his bid to head scottish Labour – throwing his support behind the party’s UK leader.

The moderate Glasgow MSP and former MP unveiled his challenge to take over from Kezia Dugdale following her shock resignation last week.

He pledged to help his party back into power in scotland and paid tribute to Miss Dugdale for her ‘dedicated service’.

In stark contrast, his Left-wing opponent took a swipe at her for failing to capitalise on the ‘Corbyn bounce’ during the General Election campaign.

Richard Leonard, a keen supporter of Mr Corbyn, claimed Labour had lacked a distinctive ‘vision’ in scotland.

Mr sarwar, however, has called for unity, insisting that the party must not be ‘fighting itself’. announcing his candidacy, he said: ‘This is an election that nobody wanted or expected, and I would once again like to pay tribute to Kezia Dugdale for her dedicated service. Labour is revitalised in scotland and I am ready to unite our party and lead us back to power.

‘The people of scotland do not need a Labour Party that is fighting itself. They need a united Labour Party in Holyrood that is fighting the SNP and ready to form scotland’s next government.

‘and they need a united Labour Party across the UK working together to elect Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister.

‘Over the coming weeks I will set out my positive vision for scotland’s future, rooted firmly in Labour’s values.’

Mr sarwar has already gained support from within his party and MSP Pauline Mcneil and MP Martin Whitfield are co-chairing his campaign.

However, the health spokesman has faced questions over his decision to send his children to a private school.

scottish Labour has been forced into yet another leader-

‘An opportunity for greater success’

ship battle just two years after Miss Dugdale took over from Jim Murphy.

Mr Murphy was forced out following a disastrous general election campaign for Labour in scotland in 2015. But, despite fortunes appearing to turn for the party, Miss Dugdale stepped down with immediate effect.

Mr Leonard officially launched his leadership bid on sunday, insisting he would bring about ‘real and bold change’.

The trade unionist insisted yesterday that the party had so far failed to capitalise on the socalled ‘Corbyn bounce’ which he believes led to a Labour resurgence elsewhere in the UK.

Mr Leonard told BBC Radio scotland: ‘There was an opportunity, I think, which in all honesty the scottish Labour Party missed. There was a Corbyn bounce. I don’t think it was picked up soon enough and acted on quickly enough in scotland.

‘I think if the Labour Party in scotland had properly understood what was going on, and acted on it, then there was an opportunity for even greater success than we scored.

‘We should have used the opportunity of Jeremy Corbyn’s growing popularity in that election to knock on more doors, to get across the Labour message and I think to get away a bit from the entrenchment in constitutional politics we find ourselves in.’