SCOTTISH Labour have descended into chaos after insiders accused one leadership candidate of plotting to sack party staff.
The Herald reported that candidate Michael Marra wanted to fire party staff and put them on short-term contracts after Scottish Labour's disastrous results in the Holyrood elections.
The North East Scotland MSP reportedly proposed to colleagues at a post-election debrief that staff be moved to rolling three-month contracts "so we can work out what we actually need".
The allegations have sparked infighting within Scottish Labour, with strong denials coming from allies of Marra.
A Scottish Labour source told The Herald: “The idea that staff would be put at risk of redundancy, or put on insecure contracts with worse terms and conditions is completely against the values that the party stands for.
“Labour in government is currently taking steps to strengthen the rights of workers across the UK.
“That this is taking place while Michael Marra appears to be trying to do the opposite behind the scenes severely undermines his credibility as someone who will stand up for workers.”
Senior party figures have lambasted the insiders who leaked the information to The Herald, with MSP Jenny Young saying: "The claims made by anonymous 'sources' in this story are categorically untrue.
"That this person thinks it is appropriate to use hardworking, dedicated party staff as a political football in a leadership campaign tells you everything you need to know."
UK Government Energy minister Michael Shanks said: "Multiple, credible people who were at this meeting have put their names to saying this simply didn’t happen. Meanwhile whoever is briefing it hides behind anonymity.
"It’s a terrible way to behave and I hope not a sign of how some intend to engage in this leadership process."
Scottish Labour MSP Katherine Sangster said that "whoever briefed this needs to be brave enough to put their name to it", while MP Martin McCluskey said those behind the briefing "need to get a grip and realise this behaviour isn't what our members of the public want".
Meanwhile, former Labour first minister Henry McLeish told The Scotsman that his party needed to "get the hell out of personality conflicts".
The SNP said the latest bout of infighting shows Scottish Labour "will never put the people of Scotland first".
SNP MSP Jack Middleton said: “Just when you think Scottish Labour has hit rock bottom, they excavate another layer.
“While Anas Sarwar swans about the Fringe, his faithful servants have been left to scavenge a successor from the rubble of their electoral destruction.
“The leadership contest has descended into a bitter civil war, with the staff Anas Sarwar threw under the bus now facing the chop from Michael Marra."
Middleton added: “For Labour Party politicians, it is almost always about personalities and power struggles – not the people of Scotland and that is exactly what this leadership contest demonstrates.
“There has been no debate about independence – the preferred future of the Scottish people – just savage barbs exchanged concerning internal Scottish Labour squabbles.
“For as long as Scottish Labour refuse to engage with the reason of their defeat, they will continue to be punished at the ballot box – you cannot deny democracy to Scotland and expect the trust of our people.”
