First hustings for Scottish Labour candidates

MSPs Ken Macintosh and Kezia Dugdale have joined the Scottish Labour leadership contest

Candidates bidding to become leader and deputy leader of Scottish Labour have held the first in a series of four hustings debates.

MSPs Ken Macintosh and Kezia Dugdale are going head-to head for the leadership.

Fellow MSPs Alex Rowley and Richard Baker have joined Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson in the race for deputy leader.

The event was held at the Apex International Hotel in Edinburgh.

Ms Dugdale called for the "baton to be handed to a new generation" and her opponent Mr Macintosh pledged to be the candidate for change.

Both are vying for the position left vacant by Jim Murphy, who stood down in the wake of the party's devastating defeat in Scotland at the hands of the SNP in the general election.

Changing world

Addressing an audience of party members, former deputy leader Ms Dugdale said the party had to address its lack of appeal to younger voters.

She said: "We should be proud of the successes of our past....but the great danger of constantly reminding people of the past is that we look like the past.

"Whilst we should immensely be proud of what we have done in a rapidly changing world, it's the future that counts, meeting the hopes and aspirations and quelling the fears of all those people facing it.

"I believe it's time for a new generation to lead the Scottish Labour Party."

Ms Dugdale pointed to a poll after the election which suggested that just 5% of people aged 25 to 34 would vote for Labour in the Holyrood elections next year, compared to 80% who plan to vote SNP.

"For the long term future of our party we need to do something about that," she said.

Responding, Mr Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, said: "It's not just a new generation we need, it's a new approach. There's no point in having a new generation if we make the same mistakes."

He called for the party to stop "obsessing" about the SNP and focus instead on its own agenda, using the Scottish Parliament "to make a difference".

Mr Macintosh said: "There's the temptation to follow the path of least resistance, to go with what's in front of you rather than face up to the difficult and challenging questions that we actually face as a Labour party.

"If the people of Scotland think that we're more interested in our own seats, our own prospects and our own future rather than theirs we will not win their trust and frankly why should we?"

He added: "I'm offering a change in direction, I want to break up the party machine and put the members and supporters in charge of this party."

Mr Macintosh also called for a new approach to local authority funding, saying the time for a council tax freeze was "long gone".

Council leader Gordon Matheson and MSPs Alex Rowley and Richard Baker are standing for the deputy leader post

In a change from previous leadership contests, it will be a one member one vote ballot, while non-members can also register as supporters for £3, allowing them to take part.

All the contestants will take part in a series of hustings at four venues:

• Edinburgh - Monday 22 June

• Glasgow - Wednesday 24 June

• Aberdeen - Friday 26 June

• Dundee - Monday 29 June

The results of the two contests will be announced at a special gathering on Saturday 15 August.

Leadership timetable

15 June - Nominations open for leader and deputy leader

19 June (12 noon) - Nominations close

19 June (17:00) - Supporting nominations open

22 June - Hustings period opens

13 July - Last date to join as member, affiliated supporter, or registered supporter in order to vote in the leadership ballot

10 July (12 noon) - Supporting nominations close

20 July - Ballot opens

14 August - Ballot closes

15 August - Result announced