Britain19 September, 20262 min read
Michael Marra Elected Scottish Labour Leader After Anas Sarwar Stood Down
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Michael Marra elected Scottish Labour leader, defeating Joe Fagan with 4,266 to 2,485 votes. Succeeds Anas Sarwar who stood down to join the House of Lords.
Marra takes Scottish Labour
Michael Marra has been announced as the next Scottish Labour leader, taking over after Anas Sarwar decided to stand down in order to take up a seat in the House of Lords. Marra received 4266 votes from Labour members, compared with Joe Fagan's 2485, in a leadership contest in which almost half of party members turned out to vote. The BBC said Marra inherits a party that had a historically bad result in May's Scottish Parliament election, with Labour leading a group of just 17 MSPs.
In Edinburgh, Marra framed the job as a personal duty, saying: "It is the honour of my life to be elected leader of the Scottish Labour Party." The Craven Herald added that Marra replaces Sarwar, who resigned to join Andy Burnham’s Government, and that Marra defeated Joe Fagan by 4,266 votes to 2,485.
Mandate, priorities, and criticism
After the votes were read out, Marra said: "To be entrusted with the leadership of our Scottish Labour Party is a singular honour and a great responsibility." The Daily Record said Marra set out three priorities over the next year, telling a room of Labour politicians and activists: "In my first 100 days, I will take Scottish Labour out of the bubble of parliament and back into the country." The Guardian reported that Marra backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields, calling for a "more rational" approach to energy policy.
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay said the party was "changing its leader without changing direction" and argued that Marra, as an architect of the manifesto that delivered Labour its worst-ever Holyrood result, "cannot credibly present himself as the fresh start the party needs." The Independent said Marra’s victory speech included the line: "Rather than reaching straight for the political attack line, we should be convening all those who have been failed, building movements and alliances, and delivering change."
What comes next for Labour
The BBC said Marra inherits a party that will lead a group of just 17 MSPs, making them the joint second-largest party at Holyrood tied with Reform UK, while still facing a gulf with SNP rivals.
The Guardian reported that in total, 6,751 votes were cast in the leadership election, representing 49.43% of the Scottish Labour party membership, with Fagan winning 2,485 votes and Marra winning 4,266.
In his acceptance speech at the Dynamic Earth science museum in Edinburgh, Marra said: "May hurt so much because we know the SNP didn’t deserve a fifth term in power," and added that "Scots know what we are against. They can’t tell you what we are for."
The Guardian quoted Dr Eric Shaw, a research fellow at the University of Stirling, saying the party had to reconnect with working-class voters to win back support, and that "The party is facing three main issues" including the continued salience of independence.
The BBC also quoted pollster Mark Diffley warning that "The party has become a bit of an irrelevance, and I think that is the biggest hurdle that they face going forward."