Scottish Labour campaigners are facing questions about anti-Semitism on the doorsteps as the party makes a final push for votes, leader Kezia Dugdale has admitted.
She said the issue – which has engulfed the UK party in the last few days – has “unquestionably had an effect” on election campaigning ahead of Thursday’s vote.
Her comments came as it emerged Renfrewshire councillor Terry Kelly has been suspended from the party over allegations of anti-Semitism.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has set up an independent investigation into anti-Semitism and other forms of racism within the party as the row over the handling of controversial comments by prominent figures continues.
Scottish Labour is battling for second place at Holyrood, with polls showing the party running neck and neck with the Scottish Conservatives.
Despite establishing herself as the leader of an autonomous party north of the border, Ms Dugdale conceded the anti-Semitism row – which has predominantly centred on Westminster figures – is having an impact in Scotland.
Speaking on the campaign trail in Edinburgh, she said: “It has unquestionably had an effect.
“I am not going to go into the business of analysing what has happened over the past few days, but it is coming up on the doorsteps.
— Gareth McPherson (@C_GMcPherson) May 4, 2016
“I haven’t directly spoken to Jeremy about it. I did speak to him yesterday about the final hours of the campaign, I am in regular touch with him.
“I didn’t feel that would add anything. I am going to do what I always said I would do, which is focus on the positive reasons for voting Labour.”
Ms Dugdale insisted Labour would still finish ahead of the Tories after Thursday’s vote as she hit out at leader Ruth Davidson’s use of constitutional arguments during the campaign.
“If we believed every word of the opinion polls, Ed Miliband would be prime minister, so I can spend that last few hours of this campaign talking about the opinion polls or I can put my trainers on and go out and campaign for every last vote, which is what I am going to do.
“There is something like one in four people in the country still to make up their minds.
“They have a clear choice now – they can either send MSPs into the Parliament next week who exist to stop the cuts, to oppose austerity, who will talk about investing in Scotland’s future and using the new powers, or they can send some Tory MSPs who will impose austerity, who stand for more cuts, who want the government to do less.”
Ms Davidson has sought to position her party as the strongest opposition to the SNP’s bid for a second referendum on independence.
Ms Dugdale added: “I am just as strong as Ruth Davidson on the issue of the constitution. What I don’t do is pour petrol on the constitutional argument every time it comes up in the debate.
“I think the way that she has behaved during this campaign has been appalling.
“I was proud to vote No. I still believe that Scotland is best placed within the United Kingdom and I will always believe that, and I will always fight for that.
“As I travel the country, people tell me all the time that they want to leave those arguments about the constitution behind them.”
