Theoretically, there should be an element of shock in Richard Leonard’s resignation as Scottish Labour leader, so close to a Holyrood election. But nobody seems even remotely surprised.
Labour Party
There is a rumbling debate about the timing of a proposed Scottish independence referendum, highlighted by remarks from Labour’s Keir Starmer and the SNP’s John Swinney.
Source Direct: One More Time
“The centre is broken. Its aggressive, controlling hands squeezed harder and harder until the things being controlled couldn’t take it any more and began to crack. The price is paid by others.”
Robin McAlpine: The centre is broken – control did the the breaking
“Starmer was put in place in order to bury Corbynism and those radical instincts its enemies associate with it… In that sense, his leadership is working entirely as intended.”
Sean Bell: Keir Starmer is doing exactly what he was selected to do
“From the virus itself, to the economic fallout, party infighting and the national question in Scotland, the party will struggle mightily to present a unified and popular alternative. What prospects are there for Starmerism in the 2020s?”