NEXT week, the Court of Session in Edinburgh is expected to rule on whether to move forward the “freeze date” in the Scottish Labour leadership election so newer members can vote in the upcoming Glasgow South West selection.

Last year Matt Kerr, a postie, CWU official and Glasgow City Councillor, came within 60 votes of winning the seat. Kerr is keen to finish the job, and many are confident he can.

But Glasgow solicitor Asim Khan wants to topple him, and hopes he can count on the votes of hundreds of members who signed up to support his ally Anas Sarwar in his failed leadership campaign last year. Many are worried this could ultimately cost Labour the seat.
 

Sarwar has been accused of undue interference in the row. Sources say the Labour right has “manipulated” the selection process in order to allow members who would normally be barred from voting — on grounds of not paying subs for long enough — to take part.

But regardless of the court’s judgement, it looks increasingly likely Khan will not be permitted to stand at all.

Last week the Sunday Herald revealed that an employment tribunal judge described the solicitor as “untruthful.” He had been accused of a “complete failure” to protect a woman at a charity which he chaired.

The charity, Roshni, was set up to support ethnic minority abuse victims — but last year it closed down following its founder Ali Khan being judged to have harassed a female colleague.

Ali Khan was accused of making “sexually explicit remarks” to the woman and encouraging her to flirt with business clients.

But the tribunal’s judgement also said “there was a complete failure on behalf of the Chairman of the First Respondent, Mr Asim Khan to take any steps to protect the claimant.” He took “no action” when she approached him, the judge ruled.

Asim Khan was also described as acting in an “entirely inappropriate” fashion when he contacted another individual, Saeed Sarwar, “as part of the efforts instigated by Mr Ali Khan to place pressure upon the claimant to withdraw her claim.”

The man who now wants to represent Glasgow South West in Westminster told the Sunday Herald he was “proud of my role with Roshni and the charitable work we did.” He said the “claims which came to light were deeply distressing and following the tribunal I made a full apology to [the woman] on behalf of the charity.” But he moved to “strongly reject” claims he had not acted appropriately and truthfully.

You’d think no-one could argue a man of this record represents Labour values. But Alan Roden, a former Scottish Daily Mail political editor and spinner for Sarwar and Kezia Dugdale, certainly had a go.

Writing in the Herald this week, he said that Asim Khan is now fighting on grounds of “equality and diversity.”

Meanwhile Johann Lamont is reportedly after the Westminster nomination in Glasgow South, despite having a secure seat at Holyrood already. As Scottish Labour leader she attacked the SNP from the right, saying universal benefits promoted a “something for nothing” culture.

She’s best known for resigning in 2014, saying the UK party had treated Scottish Labour “like a branch office of London.” Naturally, this is now the cybernats’ insult of choice.

North of the border, Labour has had a tough decade. It’s gone through so many leaders it resembles the Vatican in a year of three popes. Until Richard Leonard’s election as Scottish Labour leader last year, the party was arguably the last relic of the New Labour age.

Now there’s finally a silver lining. Unlike the figures who dominated the party, the talented new generation of candidates are unafraid of their own shadows. Candidates like Rhea Wolfson, the NEC leftwinger who’s likely to get selected to run again in Livingston, and Unite activist Helen McFarlane in Airdrie and Shotts.

It’s they who offer hope to the embattled party, and not the ghosts of Scottish Labour past.