Marra and Fagan to contest Scottish Labour leadership

Michael Marra and Joe Fagan will contest the Scottish Labour leadership after Monica Lennon failed to secure enough nominations to reach the ballot. The contest will decide who replaces Anas Sarwar, who announced last month that he would stand down as Scottish leader and as an MSP. Party members and affiliated supporters are due to vote between 28 August and 17 September.

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Nominations closed at 10:00, with only Marra and Fagan meeting the threshold required to stand. Lennon, who did not make the ballot, said Scottish Labour was "stuck in the past" after her bid ended. Marra, the North East Scotland MSP, said he was humbled to be on the ballot and looked forward to a "good spirited and comradely contest".

He said the next leader would have to unite the party, rediscover its soul and reconnect with Scotland. Fagan, the South Scotland MSP, said the campaign was about more than understanding what went wrong for the party. He said it was about respecting work, backing communities and giving working people real power over the future.

Lennon, in a separate statement, said Scotland's young people deserved a party that would stand up to billionaires and the wealthy elite, and argued that the movement wanted an inclusive, progressive and unapologetically socialist recovery. The leadership race comes after Labour finished joint second in May's Holyrood election, tied with Reform on 17 seats each. Sarwar triggered the contest after saying he would step down following that result.

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The outcome matters because the next leader will shape the party's response to a parliament in which Labour is trying to rebuild support and define its position in Scottish politics. The contest also reflects internal debate over the party's direction. Both Marra and Fagan have expressed scepticism about recent attempts by the Scottish Parliament to make it easier for an individual to change their legally recognised sex.

Lennon, by contrast, framed her campaign around social justice, climate concerns and trans rights. That contrast suggests the ballot is likely to test how Scottish Labour balances different strands of opinion within its membership and wider support base. Sarwar had led Scottish Labour since 2021 and said earlier that he would not endorse a candidate.

What remains unclear is how strongly members and affiliated supporters will back either Marra or Fagan once voting opens. The result, due after the ballot closes on 17 September, will determine the party's next leader and set the tone for its next phase in opposition.

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