STARMER ADMITS HE SACKED LEONARD: LEFT OUT

Ex-MSP accuses Labour chief of purging voices of dissent from his party

- ANDREW QUINN

LABOUR figures have slammed Keir Starmer after he admitted he forced former Scottish party leader Richard Leonard to resign.

The UK Labour leader said that since he took over he had made "some pretty ruthless decisions... the Scottish leader was gone two years ago".

Starmer also said the party "would be at base camp rather than in a position to take advantage" of Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as first minister if he had not made Leonard resign.

But former Scottish Labour MSP Neil Findlay said that Starmer's actions "are neither democratic nor socialist".

He accused him of sacking Leonard "at the behest of corporate donors and unelected members of the House of Lords".