Johann Lamont resigns saying role 'questioned'



Scottish Labour leadership



Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont has resigned saying senior party members had "questioned" her role amid the "serious challenges" faced by the party after September's referendum.

In her resignation letter she said her decision would enable her party to have a "real discussion" about its future.
Senior party members had "questioned my place in this new phase", she said.
Earlier, the 56-year-old said some Labour MPs were "dinosaurs" who failed to see "Scotland has changed forever".
Ms Lamont had wanted more autonomy for the party in Scotland and significant new powers for the Scottish Parliament.
But in an interview with the Daily Record she accused Westminster colleagues of treating Scotland like a "branch office".


Ms Lamont said Labour faced "serious challenges" in Scotland

Labour has 41 MPs in Scotland who will fight for their Westminster seats at next May's General Election. The party also has 38 MSPs in Edinburgh's Holyrood parliament and they will seek re-election in 2016.
In her resignation letter to Scottish Labour chairman Jamie Glackin Ms Lamont said the referendum had "opened a new chapter in the debate about the future of the Scottish Labour Party".
She added: "In order that we can have the real discussion about how we take Scottish Labour forward, I believe it would be best if I took myself out of the equation and stepped down as leader."
She described Labour's challenge in Scotland as "serious", but added "I strongly believe that the Labour Party is not only our best chance of achieving a better, fairer Scotland, it's our only chance".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-29772670