Kezia Dugdale to run for Scottish Labour leadership

Kezia Dugdale will stand for leader of Scottish Labour, she has announced this morning.

The current deputy leader confirmed that if elected her key priority will be to tackle inequality in education. 

She will formally launch her bid next month when the Scottish Executive Committee sets out the rules and timetable for the leadership contest.

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Dugdale said: “Labour lost badly in the General Election. Nothing we can say or do will disguise that fact. The job of our next leader isn't to explain away that loss or find excuses - it's to understand why people were so reluctant to vote for us and find a way of regaining the trust of the people of Scotland. 

“I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge Scottish Labour faces. But we’ve been the insurgent force before, pushing back against the political establishment and winning great victories and profound social change. We will be that force again. Our values are what we will carry forward with us - all the rest is baggage.  

"We have a mountain to climb, but I believe I offer a fresh start for Scottish Labour. The great social change we fight for is not a partisan cause. I can be a unifying figure across our party and our country.”