Ex-Scottish Labour leader admits voting SNP

Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has admitted once voting for the SNP because she was “so mad about Brexit”.

Ms Dugdale said she backed her old rivals at the European Parliament election in 2019, before the UK left the EU.

The former MSP, who is now director of the John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow, claimed she has voted Labour at every election since.

Ms Dugdale led Scottish Labour between 2015 and 2017 and was still a member of Scottish Parliament at the time of voting for the SNP.

She is no longer a Labour Party member and is married to SNP education secretary Jenny Gilruth.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 for an upcoming documentary on the general election battle in Scotland, she said: “I voted SNP once in my life and that was in the European Union elections immediately after Brexit, where I was so mad about Brexit.”

Ms Dugdale said she wanted to register a vote for the SNP for “that reason alone”, adding: “I felt I could vote for the SNP in that European Union election, because that in no way could be construed as a vote for independence.

“I felt that that was a safe thing to do. I voted Labour in every election since then, from the council to the Scottish Parliament, to the general election, I have used a vote for Labour.”

Ms Dugdale, who appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2017, said in August last year her stance on independence had “moved” as she could no longer argue as strongly for the union as she did in 2014, but was not necessarily ready to vote Yes in a referendum.

In response to Ms Dugdale’s admission, Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “Pro-union voters will be dismayed that a former Labour leader could vote SNP and betray the union so easily.”

While Scottish Labour said “we don’t care how you voted in the past” as it rallied voters to stand by the party when they next go to the polls.

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The BBC documentary also spoke to current Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who believes 28 Scottish seats are “in play” at the general election.

Mr Sarwar’s confidence remains high four months after Labour held off SNP to win the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election by 17,845 votes to 8,399 – a 20.36% swing from SNP to Labour.

First minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf told the programme he looked forward to a “battle of ideas” at the general election.

He said: “I don’t fear a general election at all. I see it’s a huge opportunity.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that 2023 was a difficult year. I’m not going to treat you or your listeners as fools.”