Unite's Len McCluskey opposes Scots Labour's NEC 'appointment'

Len McCluskey said a Scottish member of the NEC should be elected rather than appointed

The head of the UK's biggest trade union has said Kezia Dugdale should not have the power to appoint Scotland's representative on Labour's ruling committee.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey told BBC Scotland all representatives should be elected and not appointed.

It comes after Labour's ruling National Executive Committee agreed to give the party in Scotland more autonomy.

The Labour conference is due to vote on the reforms later this week.

Those reforms include plans to create a seat for Scotland on the NEC and give the party more decision-making powers.

'Difficult position'

However, Mr McCluskey said his union would be discussing how to vote on the package on Monday.

He said that while there was wide support for the autonomy proposals, coupling them with the NEC seat plans had created a "difficult position".

Mr McCluskey said he hoped the autonomy measures would still go ahead.

He told BBC Scotland: "Obviously this has placed us in a difficult position because all of the propositions have been put together, and we will have to look at that.

"We don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water but we would have preferred a more democratic approach.

"We'll have to see how it unfolds and we will have to make a judgement about where we stand."

At the conference on Saturday, Labour members voted in favour of re-electing Jeremy Corbyn as the party's UK leader.

Scottish party leader Kezia Dugdale had backed his opponent Owen Smith in the contest.