First Scottish Labour leader in charge of all the party's MPs, MSPs and councillors says change necessary to return to power
Johann Lamont, the newly-elected Scottish Labour leader, has warned her party must undergo a major overhaul if it is to be returned to power.
After beating leadership rivals Ken Macintosh and Tom Harris with 52% of the votes in the first round, Lamont said her party faced a huge challenge in winning back voters.
She said: "I want to change Scotland. But the only way we can change Scotland is by changing the Scottish Labour party."
Lamont, an MSP, former justice minister and current deputy Labour leader at Holyrood, was seen as the favourite because she has secured influential trade union support.
Lamont will be the first Scottish Labour leader in charge of all the party's MPs, MSPs and councillors. Technically, her predecessor, Iain Gray, was head of just the parliamentary group at Holyrood.
Under reforms set out after Labour's humiliating defeat by the SNP in May's elections, the Scottish party is to be granted greater independence from the UK party and become tied much more closely to the Holyrood parliament.
Scottish Labour is basing its political operations in Edinburgh for the first time and reorganising its branches to match Holyrood constituencies in a bid to reinvigorate itself.
Alex Salmond, Scottish National party leader and Scotland's first minister, congratulated Lamont, saying he relished the prospect of challenging her in debates.
"I also look forward to working together with Johann on the areas we can agree on, for the benefit of everyone living in Scotland," he added.
Ruth Davidson, who was elected leader of the Scottish Conservatives last month, said she hoped Lamont would join her in opposing demands for an independent Scotland. "I look forward to tackling her on the many domestic policy issues on which we will inevitably disagree, but there is one vital issue on which I hope we can work together - reaffirming that Scotland is better off in Britain," she said.
Michael Moore, the Scottish secretary, added his congratulations to Lamont and Anas Sarwar, her newly-elected deputy, urging them to speak up against independence.
"I am sure that in the months and years ahead they will add their strong voices to those already making the case that the nations of our country are stronger together and poorer apart," he said.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/17/johann-lamont-scottish-labour-leader
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