'Joe Fagan has a record of delivery like Andy Burnham'

I saw friends win and lose; that had happened before; I saw the SNP receive enough votes to win seats and enough seats to win power; that had happened before as well. The pain was the dying of an optimism that was felt after the General Election; a belief that our party had the first opportunity in a generation to end SNP rule and form a government under Anas Sarwar that would deliver change and transform Scotland.

What a bitter pill to swallow when it didn’t happen, especially knowing that there was little enthusiasm for John Swinney or the SNP, which had no real vision for making things better after 20 years in power.

One of the few bright spots came when Joe Fagan messaged me to let me know he had been elected in South Scotland. My excitement about his election was not just the studiousness he would bring to a parliament which, under the SNP has failed to focus on the people’s priorities, or his comprehensive understanding of the grassroots of our party, but the solid leadership experience that comes from actually governing.

Having led one of Scotland’s largest local authorities with real diligence for 4 years, Joe and his team took a £1 billion organisation that had been mismanaged by the SNP and turned it around - delivered the best-paid home care workforce in the country, kept bills down, tackled poverty and fought to deliver effective public services for those who relied on them most.

Joe showed in South Lanarkshire what Andy Burnham showed in Manchester, that it’s not enough to just talk about Labour values, you have to deliver them; you have to be bold and rooted at the heart of communities that have lost trust and faith in politics as a force for good.

In many respects his argument in this contest is simple. Scottish Labour will rebuild trust when we stop talking to ourselves and start proving that we are on people’s side, by building a winning movement, and taking Labour beyond the Holyrood bubble and back into communities across Scotland – establishing a meaningful partnership with workers and trade unions, charities and businesses, and those striving to build a better Scotland.

If we want to change our country, we must embed Labour’s enduring values in our actions: respecting work, backing communities, and trusting local people with greater power over the decisions that affect their lives.

Politics is a team sport, but it still requires an experienced and driven leader at the helm. We are lucky to have three candidates in this leadership contest who have a great deal to offer the party and the country.

But for me, Scottish Labour needs someone who blends solid experience with fresh thinking, unites our movement around a shared purpose, harnesses the knowledge and expertise of our members, empowers local voices, and builds a cohesive party that reflects the people it seeks to serve. That is what Joe will deliver.

It is clear the status quo is not working. We need to be active, engaged and focused beyond the Holyrood bubble.

An experienced and successful leader, who brings fresh ideas and has a bold vision for the future of Scotland. That combination is unusual in our politics, if not unique, and it’s certainly exciting. That’s what Joe Fagan brings to our party and to our country.