leadership election leadership election internal party election choose new leader deputy leader following leader deputy announced decision interview october saying stepping effective immediately labour_party treated scottish party branch office london won leadership contest scottish leader authority labour scottish mps house_of_commons second leader scottish political party resign wake independence referendum resignation announced intention relinquish role leader minister announced resignation october saying felt right party elect new leadership team interim leader following resignation announced plans party hold leadership contest winner announced december person confirm standing candidate party leader subsequently joined entered deputy leadership race british prime minister enter contest ruled senior labour figures decided names forward included voting took place november december tier electoral college system gives individual members affiliated bodies trade unions equal outcome time candidates toured scotland number meetings set direction party elected policy options raised centred issues health education employment prospect scotland leadership candidates different wings party murphy labour right centre left controversy ensued unite trade union issued mock ballot paper instructing members candidates elect prominent labour figures engaged argument contest social media december murphy elected lead party chosen deputy victory speech murphy said election fresh start scottish labour referendum seen percent vote favour keeping scotland united_kingdom labour decision campaign alongside conservatives vote led traditional supporters accuse party betrayal opinion polls weeks following referendum suggested increased support labour expense membership election leader murphy led labour general election saw party worst election result scotland landslide victory labour lost seats including murphy constituency won seats scotland murphy subsequently said wished remain scottish labour leader poor result prompted senior party figures trade question viability future post narrowly surviving vote confidence murphy announced intention relinquish role triggering fresh leadership contest elected succeed murphy august background elected lead december following resignation stepped wake party second consecutive defeat general election leader charge entire previous leaders having responsibility labour initiated review labour policy issues party commitment free universal public services wrote given greater autonomy labour scotland westminster colleagues restrained attempts develop policy debate universal benefits resulted portraying politician dedicated seizing people theirs leadership harmed controversy candidate selection trade union unite allegedly tried engineer selection process constituency investigation matter led london edinburgh led party referendum scottish independence labour joined conservatives liberal democrats better campaign alliance parties campaigned vote relatively low profile period prior poll labour association conservatives viewed betrayal traditional supporters referendum held september saw turnout percent eligible vote scotland rejected independence percent vote favour staying united_kingdom announced resignation leader minister day referendum subsequent leadership election selected leader september prime minister established look prospect powers scotland chaired lord smith cross party commission published findings november recommendations proposals scottish parliament responsibility welfare payments setting income tax levels previously opposed giving greater tax powers amid concerns diminish role scottish mps westminster lead independence door labour confirmed intention support income tax shortly details commission report public scotland voted remain independence referendum returned yes votes traditional labour strongholds particularly glasgow prompting media speculation future party leader shortly referendum daily_mail article claimed shadow international development secretary lined party leadership herald reported party delegates concerned referendum results started view murphy possible successor attempted rumours leadership challenge september session minister questions post referendum era minister long gone job behalf people scotland position remained uncertain daily_telegraph wrote labour mps scotland feared losing seats general election change leadership weeks following referendum membership increased reaching mid december labour membership period clear noted november edition sunday herald labour consistently declined confirm number members scotland quoted informed source suggesting figure slightly short subsequently quoted favourable figure fewer existing constituency membership comprising relatives friends mps welcome influx new members try second rate post holders favour somebody new better october ministers voiced concern direction party expressed fears labour experience increased difficulty regaining confidence scottish voters following election leader described labour political machine angry happened scotland recent past shortly predecessor suggested labour ceded enormous ground supporters longer understood party stands shadow secretary state scotland said party changing needed socialist principles deputy later suggested referendum campaign labour stopped movement change fell trap defenders past defenders establishment new statesman claimed labour spent decades treating scotland little party state needed relevant people established represent political editor suggested labour responded nationalist advance succession decent leaders dominated westminster party machine announced resignation interview october saying intention step immediately told newspaper resigning labour westminster leadership undermined attempts reform party scotland treated scottish labour like branch office london letter resignation submitted chairman accused senior members party questioning role said taking equation allow scottish labour discussion best way forward labour acting leader october following meeting party executive committee outlined details leadership election confirmed day represent labour following session minister questions october poll conducted indicated greater support scottish voters labour putting percent compared percent labour day poll conducted times gave parties percent respectively bbc later noted total polls october november gave average percentage point lead labour suggested allow win westminster seats labour election october announced resignation deputy leader scottish labour fundraising dinner glasgow triggering deputy leadership election said disagreed assessment stepping felt right concurrent leadership deputy leadership election allow scottish labour party members opportunity elect leader new leadership team focused winning election details announced details contest october following meeting executive committee potential candidates invited declare interest following day nominations open october november begin november announcement new leader occur december said voting held tier electoral college individual party members affiliated bodies trade unions electorate plans change electoral system person vote ballot like labour_party review time leadership contest ahead changes election new scottish leader delay process decision taken use existing method instead explaining decision day contest announced told unanimous agreement balance right moving quickly elect new leader allowing period time open frank honest debate future direction scottish labour party deputy leadership contest followed relinquished role nominations closed november candidates took series meetings locations scotland venues events announced november set place november followed meetings glasgow edinburgh addition candidates address candidates took televised debate special edition bbc scotland political programme scotland november voting closed midday december october shadow local government minister person announce candidacy party leader shadow health minister shadow secretary state international development second candidates declare october november north person join deputy leadership race labour shadow education secretary announced november deputy leadership candidate candidate required secure nominations scottish labour members standing contest murphy received support secured nominations respectively backed colleagues clark nominations prominent labour figures declined stand urged prime minister enter race declined potential candidates decided run wished concentrate plans general election shadow health secretary said wanted supporting role labour leader labour deputy finance youth employment decided stand subsequently appointed lead murphy campaign alongside candidates campaigns leadership murphy president elected house_of_commons general election having spent years university graduating worked labour_party serving junior roles labour government appointed secretary state scotland led scottish business mission shanghai played key role organising scotland leg pope visit united_kingdom took charge labour scottish campaign general election securing percent swing labour scotland amid defeat party level shadow defence secretary election moving post shadow international development secretary chaired murphy review structure prominent figure better campaign referendum toured towns days campaign vote commentators bbc guardian described murphy right wing party murphy launched leadership campaign edinburgh november subsequently stepped role shadow international development secretary order concentrate leadership campaign bid lead party backed trade unions endorsed leader donated undisclosed sum money campaign shadow scottish secretary murphy spoke uniting scottish labour scotland referendum said chosen lead party stand election election claimed lack vision failure listen scottish voters led labour suggested compulsory deputy expressed support greater scotland murphy said scottish labour greater responsibility areas policy making fundraising campaigning funds paid labour scottish labour exclusively scotland murphy wanted spend labour held scottish constituency westminster seats party planned target future elections pledged radical change labour campaign strategy promised introduce gender equality legislation requiring equal male female representation scottish cabinet boards scottish based companies planned appoint cabinet minister women announced plans invite leaders scotland political parties talks aimed developing strategy provision services elderly coming increasing pressure aging population urged scottish labour support tax raising powers stating important change clause labour party said introduce percent income tax rate welfare responsibilities handed local authorities education pledged create facility promote good teaching practice introduce chartered status teachers identify provide support secondary schools deemed failing order help improve education students unlike opponents murphy supported continuation programme renewal planning officer lecturer served chair wide counterpart elected inaugural election served governments environment minister later transport minister succeeded lost transport brief cabinet subsequently parliament briefly returned government prior labour defeat election lost edinburgh seat elected list region election murphy review served member guardian reported stand candidate suggested instinct operation consensus building describes socialist campaign launched edinburgh november supported said listening leader tackle funding local government said publish new ideas aimed improving lives meeting people campaign positioning candidate party fit purpose called bold radical new approaches policy require labour honest funding crises local government health pledged elected work government felt best interest scotland said labour effective opposition holding government account necessary said leader campaign better funding healthcare improvements education youth employment opportunities power local government backed scrapping programme wanted reform council tax frozen came power suggested existing tax bands allow local authorities raise tourism tax environmentally friendly power firms bus companies created raise public funds supported establishing consensus tax reservations prospect taxes favoured welfare benefits scotland told wished scottish labour force scottish politics publishing list social justice themed policies announced plans establish commission similar created labour leader helped shape labour policy areas employment welfare teacher elected list having previously councillor subsequently appointed shadow health minister member group politicians called labour support income tax powers scotland bbc profile said widely described left wing party happy describe socialist campaign launched november home village endorsed trade unions unite policy options raised included increasing minimum wage council house building reduction use private sector scotland allowing councils set taxes help reverse job losses local government described machine politician called return timeless labour values community solidarity justice said elected leader election campaign focus youth unemployment introduction living wage improvements health social care said wanted party autonomous involving members trade unions create party collective operative nature expressed desire establish public inquiry practice trade union plans power employment regulations enable creation introduction corporate homicide legislation gender equality announced plans legislation address gender pay gap increasing number women number women bodies decisions country said lobby government scrap programme labour leader prime minister election wanted railways scotland bring end public private partnerships commit party employment supported introducing percent tax band tackle poverty youth unemployment urged caution tax ensure scotland end worse said leadership elected promised hit ground running said ready leader session minister questions deputy leadership joined labour_party graduating elected region later appointed shadow cabinet shadow health minister quickly ruled running leadership told consider entering deputy leadership contest describing sidekick superhero spoke intention serve terms parliament murphy secured backing community trade union endorsed talked improving employment wages education saying stood tomorrow scotland country free poverty injustice opportunity nominated deputy leader endorsed murphy leadership bid ruled standing murphy joint ticket suggested order pay jobs clark solicitor joined labour_party age elected house_of_commons north general election herald reported developed reputation party rebel time leadership contest recently voted british participation military intervention levant won support announcing intention enter deputy leadership contest backed unite clark spoke need recognise scottish politics changed business usual policy areas intended focus included improvements employment housing public services said prevented wealth held hands minority spoke reaching people claimed abandoned hope labour voted independence said party needed new path people wanted social economic change previous labour governments delivered policies supported railways introducing free children age months introducing living wage abolition programme student tuition fees claimed labour scotland taken political abyss new labour architects claimed labour find harder elected chosen deputy leader controversy labour distributed ballot packs members trade unions responsible sending literature relating contest members leading concerns content election material labour included endorsements information booklet sent individual members unite union wrote party general secretary ask details support organisations trade unions omitted unite said decision favoured murphy union suggested unions formal complaint necessary secretary unite scottish branch described incident gross error judgment november sunday herald journalist reported voting packs unite sent members mock ballot paper instructing vote clark union included material endorsing clark preferred candidates quoted unnamed senior labour_party source described actions absolutely desperate stuff unite following sunday herald article labour suggested murphy election disastrous party shadow secretary state northern_ireland engaged heated exchange twitter lewis accused watson manipulating past labour leadership contests wanting influence election party scottish leader watson resigned defence minister suggesting step prime minister rejected claims sought manipulate previous labour leadership contests december elect expressed concerns murphy subject religious discrimination leader posted threads facebook commenting leadership candidate roman catholic faith support schools posts described murphy catholic fanatic pope fan said murphy judged political views abilities church belongs rejected claims said society concerned murphy beliefs influence political decisions murphy described practice religious stupid outcome aftermath results result election announced december glasgow murphy secured overall majority percent vote round closest rival percent percent murphy won groups labour tier electoral college system securing support individual members backed majority party round deputy leadership race secured percent vote compared percent clark backed individual party members gave majority support clark victory speech murphy said election marked fresh start scottish labour scotland changing scottish labour ambitious party ambitious country said planned defeat use increased powers end poverty inequality urging labour voters backed independence support vision party claimed labour common voted yes referendum political leaders campaigned 18th september speech said party focus future scottish labour party fighting fit fighting future murphy congratulated leadership victory said standing shoulder shoulder jim campaign general election welcomed election spoke hope find common ground work best interests people scotland leader congratulated murphy election claimed hands came getting labour elected town tour persuade people scotland downing street scottish labour spokesman described bid encourage transparency party took decision publish details voted ballot process previously kept private results showed chose murphy candidate included gray kelly vote backed clark deputy leadership contest brown gray kelly murphy vote clark preference voters included having chosen second preferences vote chose preferences elections murphy chose alternative preferences murphy voting likewise results leadership contest follows leadership deputy leadership party direction shadow cabinet appointments speaking following election murphy said disagreed branch office theory consulting london policy days needed permission labour_party united_kingdom decision happens scotland gone gone good december edition bbc sunday politics scotland repeated pledge seek election said determined retain westminster seat held labour following day announced plans rewrite scottish labour constitution party greater autonomy affairs bring closer centre scottish life december murphy announced given security pass establishing presence december murphy announced lineup shadow cabinet included posts people stood leadership contest appointed fair work skills training portfolio shadow minister food environment handed post shadow minister finance took health sport appointments labour team infrastructure investment cities communities rights justice culture europe manager chief whip announced speak labour place new cabinet murphy stated wanted touch wished looking forward getting wasn looking job today think big years come general election resignation murphy murphy took party united_kingdom general election saw majority win conservatives labour worst election result scotland landslide shift took scottish seats westminster labour lost westminster seats defending notable losses included murphy constituency brown constituency previously labour seat scotland high profile figures clark shadow foreign secretary lost seats following defeat murphy spoke intention stand seat result prompted labour figures trade union movement question future leadership suggested difficult murphy remain scottish labour leader parliamentary seat wake heavy defeat called resignation labour local government spokesman expressed concerns party future murphy leadership resigned shadow cabinet narrowly surviving vote confidence votes meeting party glasgow murphy announced step leader june stating wanted successor place summer confirmed longer standing seat leadership role murphy drew proposals number party reforms including adoption member vote ballot future leadership contests resignation took effect june reforms accepted labour executive committee set new leader elected august gray appointed acting leader stood contest choose murphy successor subsequently elected scottish labour new leader share vote time deputy
Scottish Labour Party leadership election, 2014