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The 2000 Scottish Labour Party leadership election was an internal party election to choose a new leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament, and was triggered following the death of Donald Dewar, the inaugural leader and first minister of Scotland. Henry McLeish successfully defeated Jack McConnell, by 44 to 36 votes, and was subsequently appointed to office. [1] [2]
In the 1997 UK general election, Tony Blair's Labour Party won a landslide victory and he formed a majority government, with Dewar as Secretary of State for Scotland. [3] He was task forced with the responsibility of re-establishing a devolved parliament in Scotland and created the Scotland Act 1998. In the first election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, the Labour Party in Scotland emerged as the largest party and later formed a coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Dewar was subsequently appointed as the inaugural first minister of Scotland. He also served as the first leader of the Labour Party in Scotland. Dewar died in office, triggering the election. [4]
Jack McConnell, the finance minister, announced his candidacy for leader on 19 October. [5] In a statement to the media he outlined his key commitments including retaining social justice as the number one priority and purpose, leading without fear of favour in an open and democratic style, putting equality at the centre of all matters. building a partnership with the party to win elections, working with Labour councillors to improve local services, and keeping the parties of opposition "where they belong - in opposition". [6] McConnell received pressure by Chancellor Gordon Brown not to stand, giving McLeish an unopposed contest, but he issued a "keep out" warning to Westminster. [7]
Henry McLeish, the enterprise and lifelong learning, served as an informal "deputy", working with Dewar on the Scotland Act, announced his candidacy less than 24 hours after Dewar's funeral. [8] McLeish stated he was confident he could lead the government to "electoral success" and he promised to carry Dewar's vision forward, something he described as the "unfinished business". [9] He was seen as the most experienced candidate, having served in both the UK and Scottish Cabinets. However, McLeish lacked the "common touch" and support of backbench MSPs. [10]
| Candidate | Political office | Date Declared | Campaign progression | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jack McConnell | Minister for Finance (1999–2000) General Secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland (1992–1998) MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw (1999–2011) | 19 October 2000 | Defeated | [5] |
 Henry McLeish | Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning (1999–2000) Minister of State for Scotland (1997–1999) MSP for Central Fife (1999–2003) MP for Central Fife (1987–2001) | 19 October 2000 | Elected | [8] |
The party's rule is that leaders are elected by an electoral college, consisting of votes by members of the UK Parliament and Scottish Parliament, party members and trade union members. [11] However, in this election only the 27 voting members of the executive committee of the Scottish Labour Party and the 54 Scottish parliamentary Labour group voted in the election. This was because the Scotland Act 1998 constitutes a first minister must be appointed within 28 days resulting in a tight timescale for a leadership race. [12] [13]
The election only elected an interim leader, with the full electoral college confirming the leader at a later date as well as electing a deputy leader. [14]
Donald Campbell Dewar was a Scottish statesman and politician who served as the inaugural First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000. He previously served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997 to 1999. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Anniesland from 1978 to 2000. Dewar was also Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2000.
The politics of Scotland operate within the constitution of the United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a constituent country. Scotland is a democracy, being represented in both the Scottish Parliament and the Parliament of the United Kingdom since the Scotland Act 1998. Most executive power is exercised by the Scottish Government, led by the First Minister of Scotland, the head of government in a multi-party system. The judiciary of Scotland, dealing with Scots law, is independent of the legislature and the executive. Scots law is primarily determined by the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government shares some executive powers with the Government of the United Kingdom's Scotland Office, a British government department led by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The first minister of Scotland is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy. Additional functions of the first minister include promoting and representing Scotland in an official capacity, at home and abroad.
The 2003 Scottish Parliament election was the second election of members to the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive. Jack McConnell, the Labour Party MSP, remained in office as First Minister for a second term and the Executive continued as a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition. As of 2022, it remains the last Scottish Parliament election victory for the Scottish Labour Party, and the last time the Scottish National Party lost a Holyrood election.
Wendy Alexander is a retired Scottish politician and the former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Paisley North. She held various Scottish Government cabinet posts and was the Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2007 to 2008. In 2010–2011 she convened the Scotland Bill Committee on financial powers of the Scottish Parliament.
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2001 to 2007. McConnell served as the Minister for Finance from 1999 to 2000 and Minister for Education, Europe and External Affairs from 2000 to 2001. He has been a Labour life peer in the House of Lords since 2010 and previously served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Motherwell and Wishaw from 1999 to 2011.
Henry Baird McLeish is a Scottish politician, author, academic and former footballer who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2001. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Fife from 1987 to 2001 and Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the equivalent seat from 1999 to 2003.
James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, is a Scottish politician serving as a Liberal Democrat life peer in the British House of Lords since 2007 and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2021 to 2022. He served as the Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005, and during that time he served twice as acting First Minister, in 2000, in the aftermath of Donald Dewar's death and in 2001, following Henry McLeish's resignation. He was formerly Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2005 and Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords from 2013 to 2016.
Catherine Mary Jamieson is a Scottish business director, currently a director at Kilmarnock Football Club and former politician. She served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2008. She previously served in the Scottish Executive as Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2007 and Minister for Education and Young People from 2001 to 2003. Jamieson was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley from 1999 to 2011 and was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2010 to 2015.
Scottish Labour is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak of holding 56 of the 129 seats at the first Scottish parliament election in 1999, the Party has lost seats at each Holyrood election, returning 22 MSPs at the 2021 election. The party currently holds one of 59 Scottish seats in the UK House of Commons, with Ian Murray having represented Edinburgh South continuously since 2010.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats is a liberal, federalist political party in Scotland, a part of the United Kingdom Liberal Democrats. The party currently holds 4 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and 4 of the 59 Scottish seats in the House of Commons.
Iain Cumming Gray is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2008 to 2011. He was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the East Lothian constituency from 2007 to 2021, having previously represented Edinburgh Pentlands from 1999 to 2003. A former aid worker and teacher of mathematics and physics, Gray was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as MSP for the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, which he lost to Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party David McLetchie in 2003. Gray was returned to Holyrood in 2007 as MSP for East Lothian. Following Wendy Alexander's resignation as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in 2008, Gray stood at the subsequent leadership election, and was elected with a 57.8% share of the vote in the second round.
Angus MacKay is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Finance and Local Government from 2000 to 2001. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, he was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Edinburgh South constituency from 1999 to 2003.
Henry McLeish formed the McLeish government on 26 October 2000 following his appointment as the First Minister of Scotland. It followed the death of Donald Dewar on 11 October 2000 during the 1st Scottish Parliament. It was a continuation of the Labour–Liberal Democrat coalition that had been formed following the first election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
The first McConnell government was formed by Jack McConnell on 22 November 2001 during the 1st Scottish Parliament, following Henry McLeish's resignation as First Minister of Scotland as a consequence of the Officegate scandal. The first McConnell government was a continuation of the Labour–Liberal Democrat coalition that had existed under the previous McLeish and Dewar governments. It ended on 20 May 2003 following the 2003 election to the 2nd Scottish parliament, which saw McConnell returning to office as first minister to form a second government.
The office of Leader of the Scottish Labour Party was established when the Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999 and prior to its inaugural election. Until the Murphy and Boyack review in 2011, the office was Leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament and restricted to members of the Scottish Parliament. Since the review, the office has been opened up to all elected Scottish Labour politicians, including those involved in the Parliament of the United Kingdom and local government.
Events from the year 2000 in Scotland.
The Organisation of Scottish Labour is a body established under the national rules of the UK Labour Party.
Henry McLeish's term as first minister of Scotland began on 26 October 2000 when he was formally sworn into office at the Court of Session. It followed the death of Donald Dewar. McLeish served as the second First Minister and his premiership is the shortest of any officeholder. His term was dominated by his financial scandal dubbed as Officegate. The scandal resulted in McLeish's resignation on 8 November 2001.
Jack McConnell's term as first minister of Scotland began on 22 November 2001 when he was formally sworn into office at the Court of Session. It followed the resignation of Henry McLeish over the Officegate scandal. His term ended on 16 May 2007, following the defeat of the Scottish Labour Party in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, where the Scottish National Party formed a minority government.
