Delegates unanimously agreed the following constitutional amendment at the special conference on 29 October 2011 in Glasgow:

Delete the following:-

• Section (m), Clause 14: Procedures with regard to the Scottish Parliament
  The Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament shall be elected by the same system as agreed by the party  for the election of the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Replace the above clause with a new clause which reads:-

• Election of Leader and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
  The Leader and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party shall be elected according to the procedural rules set out by the Scottish Executive Committee.

Who oversees the election?
The Procedures Committee of the Scottish Executive Committee comprised of the Scottish General Secretary - who is the Procedures Secretary- plus the Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the Scottish Executive Committee.
    
Who may stand?
All Labour MSPs, Labour MPs representing Scottish constituencies, and Labour MEPs representing Scotland may nominate themselves or be nominated. Nominees who achieve 12.5 per cent support of Scottish Labour MSPs, MPs and MEPs (10 from the current total of 80) with at least one nomination from two of the three groups will be declared validly nominated and if accepted by the nominee go through to the ballot. Candidates may nominate themselves and would therefore require 9 further nominations.

If there is more than one nominee, will there be supportive nominations?
Yes.  All CLPs, affiliated trade unions, socialist societies, Scottish Young Labour and individual councillors are entitled to indicate their support for a candidate by means of a supporting nomination.

What is the timescale?
A series of hustings around Scotland will start on 19 November. Thereafter ballot papers will be issued.

How does the ballot work?
There are three sections entitled to vote in the ballot. The ballots will be conducted on a one-member, one-vote basis.

• Ballot – Section 1
  All Labour MSPs, Labour MPs representing Scottish constituencies, and Labour MEPs representing Scotland, will vote by ballot.

• Ballot – Section 2
  All members of the Labour Party in Scotland, who have not lapsed their membership, will be eligible to take part in the process and to vote.  

• Ballot – Section 3
  All individual members of affiliated trade unions and socialist societies must ballot their members in Scotland on a one-member, one-vote basis. Affiliated trade unions must only ballot eligible political levy-paying members.

What happens then?
The votes from each section will be counted by the Electoral Reform Services and treated as an electoral college.  Each section will be weighted to count for one third of the total vote.

The results will be declared on 17 December.