The process of electing a leader of the Scottish Labour Party is now in full swing, with all three candidates having launched their campaigns.

Ken Macintosh, the MSP for Eastwood, had been touted in the media as the frontrunner. However, as the contest progresses, Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, appears to be pulling narrowly ahead of her rivals, the other being Tom Harris, MP for Glasgow South.  Lamont secured the greatest number of nominations and has the backing of Unite, Unison and the GMB.  It seems likely however that the outcome will be close enough to be determined by the votes of individual members. That seems quite healthy.

Whoever wins, the process appears to be giving Scottish Labour the opportunity to get comfortable in our own skin.

One of the key dividing lines between Labour and the SNP has long been that Scottish Labour believe that our constitutional arrangements should be made to best meet the needs and serve the will of our people, to tackle inequalities and build a better Scotland, whereas, the SNP will happily admit that for them, the separation of Scotland from the rest of the UK is a matter of political ideology which is unaffected by the benefits or drawbacks of life in an independent Scotland.  The problem Scottish Labour has faced is in articulating that difference in approach, allowing ourselves to be portrayed as anti-Scottish, rather than anti the narrow nationalism subscribed to by the SNP.

This leadership contest appears to be, finally, allowing this to change.  In the speech launching her campaign, Johann Lamont said, ‘If people wish to leave, then it will be Labour’s job in the new constitutional arrangements to ensure that it is the job of government to tackle the inequalities that remain, for they were not created by the Union of 1707, nor will they be erased by the establishment of a border at Gretna…And if the decision of the people is to remain in the UK, then it will be for Scottish Labour to work out with the people of Scotland…to create the best balance of powers at UK, Scottish and local levels to establish the priorities of our country.’

While Labour wanted a hard debate about inequality, growth and shared prosperity, installing the values of co-operation and social justice, Lamont said the ‘SNP ascribes injustice to nationhood and offers geographical responses to the abuse of power.’

The confidence this shows in both the self-determination of the Scottish people and the need for Labour values, whatever our constitutional arrangements, is sign of a party that is finding its purpose and its ability to communicate that purpose.

The persona of each candidate is very different: Harris seems confident to the point of Salmond; Lamont is grounded, straight-talking and passionate; while Macintosh is slick, calm and appears more consensual than the other candidates.

Would they take the party in different directions?  It seems likely, but two of the three are, to some extent, unknown quantities, Macintosh because, despite being an MSP since the inception of the parliament, his views and beliefs appear opaque.  His commitment to his constituency has been clear, but who he is politically remains somewhat of a mystery.  Tom Harris, on the other hand, is never short of an opinion.  In his case it could be questioned whether the views he espouses come from conviction, or are designed to attract attention and provoke debate.

With Johann Lamont, we do have a clearer idea of what we’d be getting.  She’s a committed trade unionist, a friend to the co-operative movement, she’s a feminist, an anti-poverty campaigner and a bit of a street-fighter. Not everyone will like that, but she certainly could never be accused of hiding her political beliefs under a bushel.

The members will decide and by Christmas the Scottish Labour party will have its first leader and we’ll be ready to make the changes necessary within the party to better serve Scotland.  This contest will just be the first of the challenges the new leader will face.

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Judith Fisher coordinates Research and Knowledge Exchange for Strathclyde Business School and stood in 2011 on Scottish Labour’s Glasgow regional list for the Scottish parliament. She writes here in a personal capacity.