Scotland’s Labour leader has said the time has come to fix the UK party’s failure to devolve power within its own structure.
Kezia Dugdale was in Westminster yesterday to issue a joint statement with Jeremy Corbyn.
They have agreed to make the party north of the border more autonomous and to encourage other parts of the UK to bring forward their own ideas for doing the same.
Aberdeen-born Ms Dugdale also addressed the parliamentary party about her plans, which include transfer of control of policy making, UK general election selections and management of constituency parties.
Outlining the “radical” move to the Press and Journal, she said: “Labour is the party of devolution, but we have failed to devolve power within our own structures.
“We have to fix this now so the Labour party emerges stronger and better able to represent the people in Scotland we seek to serve.
“This will strengthen the UK Labour party. It will allow us to have our own policy decisions, to determine our own fate in our own corners of this great country and to find solutions that match the needs of the communities we seek to represent.”
She also confirmed she would like to see a more federal Labour party across the rest of the UK.
“I think that debate will start now. I think I have fired a gun on a debate across the UK Labour movement,” she went on.
“My colleagues in Wales are keen to set out their own stall for what they need in Wales. Likewise it would, I’d imagine, lead to a debate across England.”
Asked if she wanted to see a more federal UK, she said her current focus was ensuring the promises made in the Vow and Smith Commission are honoured.
She added: “Once we have those powers, I’m intent on putting them to work.
“So no longer in Scotland can we have a politics dominated by what we can’t do – we’ve got substantial new tax powers, new welfare powers coming. We can determine our own fate.”
Mr Corbyn said his desire to give people greater ownership over how decisions are made applied just as much to the party as to the country.
He added: “This is a historic day for Scottish Labour. Kezia is the boss in Scotland.”
A Scottish Conservatives spokesman called it an “extraordinary flip flop” from Ms Dugdale.
He added: “Only weeks ago, she said during her leadership campaign that the party didn’t need any more autonomy. Now it’s deemed a priority.
“More importantly, it demonstrates how chaotic Labour has become.”