Members of East Lothian Constituency Labour Party met at Prestonpans Labour Club last Thursday evening to make supporting nominations for the Scottish Labour leader and deputy leader contest.

The members present voted overwhelmingly to support Jim Murphy MP for leader and Kezia Dugdale MSP for deputy leader.

Speaking after the meeting, Fiona O’Donnell MP said:

“There was agreement that the Scottish party’s new leader must have the experience, authority and charisma to unite us and take on the Tories and the SNP. The vast majority of members agreed that Jim Murphy has these qualities and that he is best placed to lead the party. They also agreed that Kez is the best candidate to be deputy leader, and I’m delighted that the party here has joined me and Iain in nominating them.”

Iain Gray MSP said:

“There is no doubt that we are facing a challenging time, but the mood of the local party remains very positive. We won a significant victory in the referendum and know there is a lot of goodwill out there for us to tap into. I believe that Jim and Kez can provide the leadership we need to get our organisation and policies right for next May and beyond to ensure we are able to deliver for the communities we represent.”

Pat O’Brien, Chair of East Lothian CLP, said:

“With just six months until the UK general election and 18 before the next Holyrood election, it is vital that we focus on what we need to do to win and deliver the change that Scotland and the UK need. It was clear that in East Lothian ordinary Labour party members have confidence in Jim and Kezia to do just that.”