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Johann Lamont resignation: Scottish Labour wants 'quick' leader vote Johann Lamont resignation: Scottish Labour leader timetable announced
(about 5 hours later)
The interim leader of Scottish Labour said he was focused on a "quick process" to elect a new leader. Scottish Labour will have a new leader in place by 13 December, its interim chief has said.
Glasgow Central MP Anas Sarwar said it was important to act quickly to keep the Labour family together. Glasgow Central MP Anas Sarwar said it was important to act quickly to replace Johann Lamont after her shock resignation on Friday.
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont resigned on Friday, accusing the UK party of treating Scotland like a "branch office". But he said there also needed to be an "open, frank and honest debate" about the direction of the party.
The party in Scotland is due to meet later to set out plans for electing her successor. Ms Lamont stood down, accusing the UK party of treating Scotland like a "branch office".
The party's executive committee will meet to decide the timetable. It has stressed the decision will be taken in Scotland not London. In her resignation letter, Ms Lamont said senior members of the party had "questioned" her place and she was taking herself "out of the equation" so it could decide the best way forward.
In her resignation letter, Ms Lamont said she was standing down to enable the party to have a "real discussion" about its future.
She said senior members of the party had "questioned" her place and she was taking herself "out of the equation" so it could decide the best way forward.
In an earlier interview with the Daily Record, Ms Lamont branded some of her Westminster colleagues as "dinosaurs".In an earlier interview with the Daily Record, Ms Lamont branded some of her Westminster colleagues as "dinosaurs".
Mr Sarwar, who has been Ms Lamont's deputy for three years, is among those tipped for the leadership. Mr Sarwar, who has been Ms Lamont's deputy for three years, told BBC Scotland that the party's executive committee had met and agreed the timetable for the selecting the new leader.
He told BBC Scotland's Sunday Politics: "I want to keep that option open. I want to think it through. But my responsibility is to keep the Labour family together, to make sure we have a quick process to elect a new leader and reflect the priorities that Scotland has." Candidates for leadership will be invited to declare their candidacy from Monday.
BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor said UK Labour leader Ed Miliband was keen on a short process for electing a new Scottish leader. Nominations will open on Friday 31 October and close on Tuesday 4 November.
He said: "This would be alright if it was several years until the next big test but the UK General Election in May is just around the corner. The ballot will start on Monday 17 November and the new leader will be announced on Saturday 13 December.
"They cannot afford, in the view of Ed Miliband and others around him, to wait all that long." Mr Sarwar also confirmed that the new leader would be selected under the existing electoral college system which gives equal weighting to three distinct groups - elected politicians, unions and party members.
The BBC Scotland political editor said the new leader would be elected by the electoral college system and not "one-member-one-vote". Both UK Labour leader Ed Miliband and Johann Lamont relied heavily on the votes from the unions to secure their leadership.
The electoral college system involves three distinct blocks of votes - politicians, unions and party members. But Mr Miliband has changed the process for electing a UK party leader to one-member-one-vote.
Both Ed Miliband and Johann Lamont relied heavily on the votes from the unions to secure their leadership. Mr Sarwar said the review into the way the Scottish leader was chosen had not be completed so they would retain the existing electoral college arrangement.
Mr Miliband has changed the process for electing a UK party leader to one-member-one-vote but the change has not been made in Scotland. He said: "We have had unanimous agreement to get the balance right between moving quickly to elect a new leader and also allowing a period of time to have an open, frank and honest debate about the future direction of the Scottish Labour party."
Any attempt to change the voting system would make the process of electing a new leader much longer. BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor said Ed Miliband was keen on a short process for electing a new Scottish leader because the UK General Election in May is "just around the corner".
As well as Mr Sarwar, East Renfrewshire MP Jim Murphy has been touted as the new Scottish leader. Mr Sarwar would not confirm if he intended to stand as leader, saying he would not rule it out but that he needed to think it through.
Several prominent MSPs including Kezia Dugdale, Jenny Marra and Neil Findlay have also been suggested by Labour sources. Other possible candidates include East Renfrewshire MP Jim Murphy and several prominent MSPs including Kezia Dugdale, Jenny Marra and Neil Findlay.
Gordon Brown MP has also been linked to the role but reports have suggested the former Prime Minister has ruled himself out of the running.Gordon Brown MP has also been linked to the role but reports have suggested the former Prime Minister has ruled himself out of the running.