The greatest threat to democracy may no longer come from political parties but from unelected tech oligarchs like Peter Thiel and his powerful Silicon Valley network, argues JOHN GREEN
SPRING fever is gripping the SNP. By the time Scotland’s governing party announces its new depute leader in June, the three candidates will have squared off in at least 10 hustings events.
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour has set a timetable to elect its own number two that stretches even further ahead. Voting will not close until the end of August, under the timetable agreed by Labour’s Scottish executive committee (SEC).
But despite this, Richard Leonard looks increasingly likely to have a deputy in post before Nicola Sturgeon. Because in the four days since Scottish Labour’s election timetable was published, support has been building around just one candidate — interim deputy leader Lesley Laird, who is Labour’s shadow Scotland secretary at Westminster.
Scotland's Labour leader cannot continue to evade responsibility for the party's decline, argues LAUREN HARPER


