: ▁Less ons ▁from ▁a ▁C elt ic ▁C ousin ? ▁( 2 0 0 3 ), ▁co - ed ited ▁( with ▁D iane ▁Co yle ▁and ▁Brian ▁Ash cro ft ) ▁New ▁We alth ▁for ▁Old ▁Nations : ▁Scotland ’ s ▁Econom ic ▁Pro spect s ▁( 2 0 0 5 ), ▁edited ▁an ▁anth ology ▁of ▁ess ays ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁First ▁Minister , ▁Donald ▁D ew ar : ▁Scotland ' s ▁first ▁First ▁Minister ▁( 2 0 0 5 ) ▁and ▁wrote ▁a ▁non - polit ical ▁column ▁for ▁young ▁m ums ▁in ▁the ▁Daily ▁Record . ▁ ▁Le ader ▁of ▁Scottish ▁Labour ▁ ▁E lection ▁Following ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Parliament ▁elections ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Alexander ▁became ▁Sh adow ▁Cab inet ▁Secretary ▁for ▁Fin ance ▁and ▁S ust ain able ▁G row th . ▁Following ▁Jack ▁Mc Con nell ' s ▁res ignation ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁she ▁announced ▁her ▁candid acy ▁for ▁Le ader ▁of ▁Labour ▁in ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Parliament . ▁Alexander ▁laid ▁out ▁her ▁vision ▁to ▁" R en ew ▁the ▁party ▁organisation , ▁reform ▁the ▁policies , ▁and ▁re connect ▁Scottish ▁Labour ▁with ▁its ▁elect or ate ". ▁Other ▁cont enders ▁ruled ▁themselves ▁out ▁and ▁she ▁was ▁elected ▁uno pp osed ▁by ▁Labour ▁M SP s ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁As ▁Scottish ▁Labour ▁leader ▁Alexander ▁believed ▁that ▁" the ▁people ▁of ▁Scotland ▁told ▁us ▁loud ▁and ▁clear