Kezia Dugdale has dismissed suggestions of a rift with her deputy leader Alex Rowley as she confirmed he will lead the party’s campaign in 2017’s local government elections.
The Scottish Labour leader said she and Fife MSP Mr Rowley are “absolutely united” in their opposition to a possible second independence referendum and added she has “every faith he will do a great job” heading up the party’s campaign in May’s council elections.
It comes after Mr Rowley, who has previously served as election agent to former prime minister Gordon Brown, told the Sunday Herald he has never considered himself a Unionist, and added that “Labour is neither Unionist nor Nationalist”.
Ms Dugdale insisted any claims of a split between her and her deputy were “sensationalist nonsense” as she revealed she has tasked him with leading the council election campaign.
Mr Rowley was in charge of Scottish Labour’s Holyrood election campaign in 2016, which saw the party fall behind the Tories to be the third largest in the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Dugdale said: “I’m first and foremost a socialist, I believe in the United Kingdom not for its own sake but because I believe it’s the best means to redistribute wealth and power across the whole of the United Kingdom. That’s a view that Alex shares too.
“Both of us are absolutely united, as the whole Scottish Labour Party is, in making the case against the cuts and for investment in public services.
“You’ll see that as the main message in our local government election campaign going into 2017, which I have asked Alex to run.
“He’s been in charge of our local government campaign for several weeks now. We are a united team and we are going to continue to argue what we’ve always argued, which is the Scottish Parliament has the power to make different choices from the Tories and it’s high time we used it.”
The Scottish Labour leader added: “Alex and I are absolutely united in our opposition to a second independence referendum, united in our opposition to the austerity the SNP continue to propose and promote every single day.
“We are absolutely united around the mission of our party, which is to tackle poverty and inequality.
“These are crucial local government elections and I can think of no better person to lead that campaign than Alex as my deputy. I’ve got every faith he’ll do a great job.”
Ms Dugdale made the comments as she visited a West Lothian employment project which provides training for vulnerable youngsters and helps them into work.
Staff at the BLES centre in Bathgate fear it could have to close early in 2017 as a result of funding cuts.
Ms Dugdale, who visited the centre with fellow Lothian MSP Neil Findlay, said: “What this organisation does is something no-one else does, which is working with really vulnerable young unemployed people across West Lothian and giving them hope and a bit of a chance in life.
“And if this organisation loses its money those young people will lose their opportunities. We’ve got to do everything we can to stop that.
“The reality is this place deserves government funding because its got good outcomes, it’s helping some of the most vulnerable young people overcome serious challenges in their lives and access work.”
