# 2020 Scottish Labour deputy leadership election

The 2020 Scottish Labour deputy leadership election was triggered on 16 December 2019 following the defeat of Lesley Laird as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in the 2019 general election. The result of the Deputy Leadership Election was announced on Twitter on 3 April 2020.

## Background

The 2019 general election saw the Scottish National Party (SNP) regain 13 of the 21 seats they lost in 2017. One of those won was Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, the seat of Scottish Labour Deputy Leader and Shadow Scottish Secretary, Lesley Laird. Despite the seat being a gain for the SNP, the new MP, Neale Hanvey sat as an Independent until May 2020 due to an investigation into anti-semitic posts online.

## Procedure

As with the previous leadership election, the election was held under one-person-one-vote from an electorate of members, affiliated supporters and registered supporters.
Leadership candidates needed to be an MP, MSP or MEP, and need the support of at least 15%, or five, of the thirty-two Scottish Labour MPs, MSPs. They will also need nominations from 5% of local parties or three affiliates, including two trade unions, comprising 5% of affiliated membership, to get on the ballot paper.

### Timetable

| 13 January | Nominations open |
| 14 January | Registered supporters applications open |
| 16 January | Registered supporters applications close |
| 19 January | Nominations closed |
| 20 January | Opening of CLP and affiliate nominations. Scottish Labour Party hustings period open. Freeze date for membership and supporter eligibility at 5PM |
| 3 February | Last day for affiliates to send over new and updated affiliated supporter lists |
| 14 February | Close of CLP and affiliate nominations and last day for membership to be in full compliance (including full payment of arrears). |
| 21 February | Voting opens |
| 27 February | Last date for postal ballot reissues |
| 30 March | Last date for email ballot reissues |
| 2 April | Ballot closes (12PM) |
| 3 April | Announcement of results |

## Campaign

Initially Jackie Baillie and fellow MSP Pauline McNeill were planning to run on a platform of job-sharing the role. However, it was found that this would not be possible due to the party's constitution. Pauline McNeill and Baillie subsequently stood separately in the election.
Following the close of nominations on 19 January, Dundee Councillor Michael Marra did not receive sufficient nominations to advance to the next round of the campaign. The same day, McNeill announced that she would also withdraw from the contest, leaving a two way campaign between Baillie and Matt Kerr.
Kerr has been described as left-wing, having strong ties with the trade union movement, and being a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn. Kerr supports the devolution of trade union and employment law, inclusive Constituency Labour Parties (CLP's) that are rooted in communities, open selections, and the creation of an accredited political academy to help develop new political talent.

## Candidates

| Candidate | Political roles | Nominations from MSPs, MPs and Cllrs | Supporting nominations from Constituency Labour Parties | Supporting nominations from affiliated Trade Unions, Groups and Socialist Societies | Endorsements |
| Jackie Baillie | MSP for Dumbarton (since 1999) | 60 Nominations MSPs (11) Jackie Baillie Claire Baker Neil Bibby Iain Gray Mark Griffin Daniel Johnson James Kelly Lewis Macdonald Anas Sarwar Colin Smyth David Stewart Scottish MPs (1) Ian Murray Councillors (48) Cllr Saqib Ahmed Cllr Shamin Akhtar Cllr Scott Arthur Cllr Derek Bibby Cllr Jim Blackwood Cllr Olivia Carson Cllr Tom Conn Cllr Carolann Davidson Cllr Cammy Day Cllr Gerry Dorrian Cllr Barry Douglas Cllr Alison Dowling Cllr Archie Dryburgh Cllr Joe Fagan Cllr Lawrence Fitzpatrick Cllr Jim Fletcher Cllr Alex Gallagher Cllr Mary Gourlay Cllr Allan Graham Cllr Joan Griffiths Cllr Rashid Hussain Cllr Jean Jones Cllr Kevin Keenan Cllr Paul Kelly Cllr Stewart MacDonald Cllr Hanzala Malik Cllr Sean Marshall Cllr John Martin Cllr Monique McAdams Cllr Douglas McAllister Cllr David McBride Cllr Frank McNally Cllr Heather McVey Cllr John Millar Cllr Kevin Montgomery Cllr Elaine Murray Cllr Paul O'Kane Cllr Claire Quigley Cllr Hanif Raja Cllr Mo Razzaq Cllr Louise Roarty Cllr Martin Rooney Cllr James Scanlon Cllr Graham Scott Cllr David Stitt Cllr Kirsteen Sullivan Cllr Bert Thomson Cllr Adam Wilson | 40 Nominations Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) Aberdeen Central CLP Aberdeen Donside CLP Aberdeen South & North Kincardine CLP Aberdeenshire West CLP Airdrie & Shotts CLP Angus South CLP Argyll and Bute CLP Cumbernauld & Kilsyth CLP Cunninghame North CLP Dumbarton CLP Dunfermline CLP Dumfriesshire CLP East Kilbride CLP East Lothian CLP Eastwood CLP Edinburgh East CLP Edinburgh Pentlands CLP Edinburgh Southern CLP Galloway & West Dumfries CLP Glasgow Anniesland CLP Glasgow Cathcart CLP Glasgow Pollok Glasgow Provan CLP Glasgow Shettleston CLP Glasgow Southside CLP Greenock & Inverclyde CLP Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse CLP Inverness, Nairn & Strathspey CLP Linlithgow CLP Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale CLP Moray CLP Motherwell & Wishaw CLP Na h-Eileanan an lar CLP Paisley CLP Renfrewshire North & West CLP Renfrewshire South CLP Rutherglen CLP Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch CLP Stirling CLP Strathkelvin & Bearsden CLP | 8 Nominations BAME Labour Christians on the Left Community GMB Jewish Labour Movement National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Scottish Co-operative Party Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) | Endorsements |
| Matt Kerr | Councillor for Cardonald (previously Craigton) (since 2007) | 33 Nominations MSPs (1) Neil Findlay Councillors (32) Cllr John Bell Cllr Robert Bissett Cllr Philip Braat Cllr Bill Butler Cllr Harry Cartmill Cllr Gail Casey Cllr Dave Clark Cllr Joe Cullinane Cllr Eddie Devine Cllr David Dodds Cllr Willie Doolan Cllr Angela Feeney Cllr Robert Foster Cllr Marie Garrity Cllr Gary Haldane Cllr Ricky Henderson Cllr John Hood Cllr Colin Jackson Cllr Matt Kerr Cllr Martin Lennon Cllr Neil McGhee Cllr John McGhee Cllr Andrew McGuire Cllr Dominic McGuire Cllr Louise McPhater Cllr Jim Montgomerie Cllr Gordon Munro Cllr Jim Reddin Cllr Donald Reid Cllr Jim Sheridan Cllr Bill Shields Cllr John Sweeney | 26 Nominations Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) Almond Valley CLP Angus North and Mearns CLP Ayr CLP Caithness, Sutherland & Ross CLP Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley CLP Clackmannanshire CLP Clydebank & Milngavie CLP Coatbridge & Chryston CLP Cowdenbeath CLP Cunninghame South CLP Dundee East CLP Dundee West CLP Edinburgh Central CLP Edinburgh Northern & Leith CLP Edinburgh Western CLP Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire CLP Falkirk West CLP Glasgow Kelvin CLP Glasgow Maryhill & Springburn CLP Kirkcaldy CLP Mid Fife & Glenrothes CLP Midlothian North & Musselburgh CLP North East Fife CLP Orkney CLP Perth & Kinross CLP Uddingston & Bellshill CLP | 8 Nominations Groups (3) Scottish Labour Students Socialist Educational Association (Scotland branch) Socialist Health Association (Scotland branch) Trade Unions (5) Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) Communication Workers Union (CWU) Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) Unison Unite the Union | Endorsements Individuals Joe Cullinane Maria Fyfe |
$^†$ CLPs not nominating any candidate:
The following seven constituencies remain unaccounted for:

## Results

| Candidate | Candidate | Party members | Party members | Registered supporters | Registered supporters | Affiliated supporters | Affiliated supporters | Total | Total | Total |
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | Votes | % |
| | Jackie Baillie | 7,735 | 58.9% | 323 | 77.6% | 2,253 | 52.5% | 10,311 | | 57.8% |
| | Matt Kerr | 5,398 | 41.1% | 93 | 22.4% | 2,037 | 47.5% | 7,528 | | 42.2% |