Kezia Dugdale elected leader of Scottish Labour

Kezia Dugdale is the youngest ever leader of Scottish Labour at just 33.

(Photo By Kezia Dugdale, pictured here with her predecessor Jim Murphy, is the new leader of Scottish Labour. Photo: Getty Images)

Kezia Dugdale has been elected leader of Scottish Labour with 72.1 per cent of the vote, against her rival Ken McIntosh with 27.9 per cent.

Dugdale, who is just 33, is the youngest person to lead Scottish Labour and the third woman to do. Wendy Alexander led the party from June 2007 to October 2008. Johann Lamont was leader from 2011 to 2014.

The Lothians MSP, who was elected in the rout of 2011 as a list MSP, has a had a meteoric rise, being elected deputy leader under a year ago.

In a seperate ballot, Alex Rowley has been elected deputy. Rowley became MSP for Cowdenbeath in a 2014 by-election.

Harriet Harman, Labour’s acting leader, said:

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“I would like to congratulate Kezia Dugdale on being elected as the Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, and Alex Rowley on being elected as Deputy Leader. They will be leading the historic task of rebuilding our Party in Scotland, reconnecting Labour with the people of Scotland and re-energising the links between our party in Scotland, Wales and England, and I know they will lead the party in Scotland forward with energy and commitment to Labour values and principles and will have the full support of the whole of the Labour Party.”