Politics / Labour chair resigns after party fields another outside candidate
THE CHAIR of the local Labour Party has resigned after his application to stand as candidate at the forthcoming Scottish parliamentary election was rejected by the party’s head office.
Stephen Leask, who is also an independent councillor for Lerwick North and Bressay, said he had been hoping that fielding a local candidate could have revived the standing of Labour in the isles.
Instead, former Labour advisor on energy and connectivity, John Erskine, is set to become the party’s candidate for Shetland.
Born and raised in Inverness, Erskine is also number two on the party’s list for the Highlands and Islands seats.
Leask said he felt heartened when asked by the local party membership to stand for election.
However, an “unhelpful intervention from head office” has left him with no choice but to hand in his resignation from the chairmanship, Leask told Shetland News.
“We are always asked to show loyalty for the party, but I feel we are in a position where we are showing a lack of foresight for the Labour Party,” he said.
Scottish Labour has sometimes parachuted candidates with little or no local knowledge in to stand for election.
Edinburgh-based Conor Savage stood as the party’s candidate in the UK parliamentary election for Shetland and Orkney’s seat last year, finishing fifth with 1,493 votes.
Leask said he felt sad, deflated and had “nothing but admiration” for the 60-strong local membership who are now being asked to support a candidate who was not their first choice.
Citing an e-mail he sent to local members, he expressed his dissatisfaction, and in fact disillusionment, with the Labour government’s direction of travel.
“Keir Starmer’s approach marked by inconsistent messaging and reactive positioning has left many of us disillusioned,” Leask wrote.
“His attempts to appeal to fringe populist sentiments to dog-whistle politics not only alienates the party’s core membership but fail to win over those he seeks to placate.”
Leask continued that Labour was in danger of losing its soul, saying it has stopped listening to its members and standing firm on its values. He added he would continue to be a party member.
Meanwhile, shortlisted candidate Erskine has been in the isles over recent days and posted a video message on social media.
I’m asking for Shetland Labour members’ support to be their candidate.
Shetland and the Highlands and Islands need a Labour voice that will stand up for local services, fight for fair investment and deliver for our remote, rural and island communities.
Together, we can show… pic.twitter.com/NPq7HcgGF1
— John Erskine (@johnerskine) August 26, 2025
The election to the Scottish parliament takes place on 7 May next year. Confirmed candidates so far are Hannah Mary Goodlad for the SNP, and Emma Macdonald for the Liberal Democrats.
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