When shadow cabinet ministers left this morning’s meeting there was only one subject they were talking about: Kezia Dugdale’s performance. The 34-year-old Scottish Labour leader gave a presentation described to me by one member as “brilliant”, while another declared himself “blown away”. After loudly applauding her, frontbenchers left vowing to do more to help their colleagues north of the border (at least one shadow cabinet minister will visit each week).
The Scottish party is forecast to lose all of its 15 constituencies in May’s parliamentary election (while retaining around 25 list seats) but Dugdale spoke confidently of her election strategy and her “five-year plan”. She intends to make education the focus of Labour’s campaign, pledging to establish a “Fair Start Fund” (a version of England’s pupil premium), with primary schools receiving £1,000 for every child from a deprived background. The measure would be funded through the introduction of a 50p tax rate on earnings over £150,000.
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