Labour launches new policy drive

Mr Gray said lessons needed to be learned from Glasgow East

The candidate in Labour's failed Glasgow East by-election campaign is to take a leading role in driving forward new policies for the Scottish party.

Margaret Curran knew more than anyone the lessons which had to be learned, the new Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray told BBC Scotland.

The SNP won the Westminster seat in July, overturning a majority of 13,507.

Mr Gray was unveiled as the new Scottish Labour leader on Saturday, replacing Wendy Alexander.

The East Lothian MSP told BBC Scotland's Politics Show there were "many lessons" to be learned from the Glasgow East defeat.

'Headline-grabbing'

He said of Ms Curran, MSP for Glasgow Ballieston: "She has a very good understanding of how we need to respond to those lessons, and that's why I'm going to ask Margaret Curran to drive the policy development process towards 2011 for Labour in Scotland."

Mr Gray said it was time to close Scottish Labour's 2007 manifesto, adding: "Margaret Curran will take the lessons she learned and heard on those doorsteps in Glasgow East to the heart of that process."

He also accused Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott of trying to grab headlines with his call at the UK party's conference in Bournemouth for a 2p income tax cut in Scotland.

Mr Scott said his plan would save the average Scot more than �300 a year, easing the pain of the current economic slowdown.

Mr Gray argued that the policy would mean stripping �400m a year from public services.

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