Holyrood’s newest MSP said she is “fully behind” Kezia Dugdale in an attempt to draw a line under disparaging comments she made about the Scottish Labour leader.
Lesley Brennan, who is taking over from Richard Baker as a North East MSP, blamed “hyperbole during a leadership campaign” for claiming in 2014 that Ms Dugdale’s election as deputy would be a “sure-fire path to defeat”.
Hours after pledging her allegiance to the Queen as she was sworn-in as a North East MSP, Ms Brennan insisted she backed her party leader.
She said: “I am fully behind Kezia and the Labour team. She is a great campaigner and actually engages people. Her campaigns on education actually connect with people.
“She brings a real vibrancy and that’s why the whole team at Holyrood are behind her and I will be part of that team.”
As the next candidate on the regional list, Ms Brennan, a mother-of-three, replaced Mr Baker yesterday, who raised eyebrows in Holyrood when he stood down to join Age Scotland a few weeks before parliament dissolved.
The Dundee councillor, who says she will forego her local authority salary in favour of her new Holyrood one, said people are starting to see through the SNP.
She said many of Dundee’s problems could be laid at the Nationalists’ door – including council funding cuts, the education attainment gap, NHS Tayside’s deficit and a lack of renewable jobs promised for the city.
She said the SNP have got a lot to answer for over the £23 million savings Dundee City Council is due to make for 2016/17 after Finance Secretary John Swinney’s draft budget.
“The SNP received a 1.7% increase [in funding] from Westminster and they are delivering a 4.3% cut to Dundee. It does not seem a particularly good outcome for Dundee.
“When I speak to constituents they say ‘I feel like they are taking us for granted’ so I think there is a real opportunity for Scottish Labour.”
She added a “major” priority for her would be tackling the jobs crisis in the oil and gas sector and fighting the local government settlement.
Ms Brennan, who also represents the East End ward on Dundee City Councillor, was sworn in yesterday at Holyrood in front of friends and family.
She added: “Everyone has been really welcoming and I’m hitting the ground running.”