A SENIOR Scottish Labour politician has said the party needs to split with its British counterparts if it is to survive.

Health spokeswoman Monica Lennon MSP said she believes the UK party had “undermined” Scottish Labour’s efforts in Scotland and stopped them being taken seriously.

In a column for the Daily Record, Ms Lennon described Scottish Labour as a “branch office,” saying the party must start from scratch to reverse the electoral results, which in December saw it reduced to just one MP at Westminster.

During the general-election campaign, contradictory messages on constitutional issues such as Brexit and the holding of a second Scottish Independence vote were seized on by political opponents.

Ms Lennon said: “We must be honest about our long-term decline.

“We are the third-largest party at Holyrood, but our capacity to shrink is a sure bet unless we act fast.

“The opportunity to recast ourselves as a modern, dynamic political force is there — if we are prepared to take bold action.

“It’s no longer tenable for decisions about Scottish Labour to be taken or undermined by colleagues outside of Scotland.

“The UK link is stopping the Scottish leader from being heard or taken seriously.”

With an internal review currently taking place within the party, looking at how it can improve its fortunes north of the border, Ms Lennon said she would use her submission to “recommend we become a separate political party in our own right.”

She added: “Scottish Labour needs to stand or fall by its own decisions.

“We either continue at the mercy of the UK party’s distant structures or we become a party in our own right.”

The party in Scotland says all evidence will be taken into consideration as part of the review.

Leader Richard Leonard said: “I am leading Scottish Labour through a review of December’s general election result and the hard lessons that our party must learn.

“The future of how our party functions and what our constitutional offer is will be part of this.

“I am encouraging all members to express their views to me and to the party executive in the coming weeks.”

The UK Labour Party declined to comment.