Two frontrunners to replace Anas Sarwar hint they plan to stand for Scottish Labour leader
Anas Sarwar has now officially confirmed he has stood down as Scottish Labour leader - the question now turns to who will replace him
Michael Marra MSP and Monica Lennon, two of the frontrunners to replace Anas Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader, have hinted they plan to stand in any contest.
Mr Sarwar has now officially confirmed he has stood down as party leader and is leaving Holyrood to take up a peerage in the House of Lords and a job as UK trade minister in Andy Burnham’s new government.
His deputy, Dame Jackie Baillie MSP, is now the party’s acting leader. However, she has ruled herself out of taking over the party on a permanent basis.
Two of the leading names poised to take over from Mr Sarwar are the party’s finance spokesman Mr Marra, and Ms Lennon, who will automatically take up Mr Sarwar’s Glasgow seat in the Scottish Parliament.
As Mr Sarwar was elected to a regional seat, the party can automatically replace him with the next name on their list rather than having to trigger a by-election.
Both Mr Marra and Ms Lennon have hinted they are seriously considering standing for party leadership.
A spokesman for Mr Marra said: “Michael is speaking with party colleagues and is grateful for the many messages of support he has received.
“He is clear that this is not a question of reacting to one bad defeat. We need big changes in Scottish Labour after going backwards for six Holyrood elections in a row.
“Deciding how we deliver that change in service of the Scottish people is what this moment demands.”
This came just hours after Ms Lennon told the Planet Holyrood podcast she is not ruling herself out of any contest.
When asked about a potential leadership contest, she said: “I am not going to rule myself out of anything right now. I want to respect other colleagues and hear what they have to say.”
She was then asked if anyone had contacted her about standing, and she said: “Yes - this has been happening quite quickly.
“Lots of people have been getting in touch, including today, which is very kind and I am very flattered.”
Ms Lennon lost her seat in the May election after coming second to the SNP in Rutherglen and Cambuslang. She then failed to pick up a regional seat as she was placed fourth on the Glasgow list, and the party only won three seats in the city.
She previously stood against Mr Sarwar to become party leader back in 2021.
One of the other names being floated as a potential leadership candidate is Paul Sweeney MSP, who also represents Glasgow and is an ally of the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
When asked if he would stand by the Holyrood Sources podcast, he said: “It’s not something I have been actively planning for or engaged in.
“It’s a massive decision, personally and politically, to make. It’s not something I’m going to take lightly.
It is understood candidates would need 15 per cent of Scottish Labour MSPs and MPs backing them to secure their name on the ballot paper - this would mean they need at least nine parliamentarians nominating them.
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