Following a heavy defeat in Scotland in the United Kingdom general election, 2015, Jim Murphy announced his resignation as party leader on 16 May 2015. On 15 August 2015 Kezia Dugdale was elected leader of the party, with Alex Rowley as her deputy. In 2017 Dugdale resigned and Rowley became acting leader. Richard Leonard was elected as the party's leader on 18 November 2017.