Contest? What Contest?

'In spite of having the public support of all the other senior and junior Ministers, as well as many of the big hitters on Labour's Scottish executive, he (Henry McLeish) won the contest by 44 votes to 36, a percentage margin of 55% to 45%. This meant that of the 54 Labour MSPs, a large section of the back benches must have swung behind his rival, although no breakdown between MSPs and the 24 out of 25 executive members present was available.' Robbie Dinwoodie in the Herald 23 rd October 2000

Labour Leadership Contest

Rt Hon Donald Campbell Dewar
MP and MSP for Glasgow Anniesland
First Minister of Scotland
21 st August 1937 - 11 th October 2000
BBC Reports
Brian Taylor Andrew Cassell Carole Walker Joan Macauley

The Leadership Battle

• BBC's Brian Taylor on Labour Leadership battle
  
• Leslie Anderson Time is against Labour
  
• John Morrison - More a question of style than substance
  

The Result

The Contest

• After Dewar: The constitutional position 11 th October 2000

• Nation robbed of the father of its new Parliament 12 th October 2000

• Labour battle over Dewar's successor 13 th October 2000

• Scottish Labour sets leadership date 14 th October 2000

• Blair and Brown clash over Dewar's successor 15 th October 2000

• Labour moves swiftly to elect Dewar successor 15 th October 2000

• Who will follow the lost leader? 15 th October 2000

• Labour must learn lessons of internecine politicking 16 th October 2000

• McConnell refuses to budge despite pressure to anoint McLeish 16 th October 2000

• Labour urged to hold open contest 17 th October 2000

• Two horse race for Labour leadership 19 th October 2000

• Opening moves in fight to be First Minister 20 th October 2000

• Last day for leadership contest 20 th October 2000

• No way to chose a leader 20 th October 2000

• McLeish ballot was not secret 23 rd October 2000

• McLeish a few steps from power 23 rd October 2000

• McLeish stirs up first storm 25 th October 2000

• Tabloids upset by First Lady 'exclusive' 27 th October 2000

• McLeish's difficult beginning 28 th October 2000

• Things Can Only Get Better 28 th October 2000

Links

• Scottish Labour Party Website

• McLeish is laziest MP

• Jack McConnell Official Site

• Jack McConnell for First Minister

• Jack McConnell Shrine