Lennon and Marra likely to contest Labour leadership – Daily Business

Monica Lennon and Michael Marra are expected to fight out the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party after Anas Sarwar confirmed he is taking up a post in the UK government and a peerage in the House of Lords.

Deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie becomes acting leader during the election campaign and has previously indicated she would not pursue the top job.

Mr Sarwar was elected to the Scottish parliament via the list system and Ms Lennon, who lost her seat in May, is the next name, ensuring she replaces him.

She led the campaign to make tampons and sanitary towels freely available across Scotland and lost to Mr Sarwar in the last leadership contest in 2021.

Speaking to the Planet Holyrood podcast, Ms Lennon said it “would be a huge honour and privilege to go back to parliament and serve as a member for Glasgow. If I had the opportunity to go back to parliament, I would absolutely welcome that.”

Michael Marra, the MSP for North East Scotland, has been tipped for some time as a potential leader. Another potential runner is the Glasgow list MSP Paul Sweeney, though he has recently played down any interest in the role.

Mr Sarwar chose to confirm his departure on social media. He said he was “delighted” to join the UK government and it had been “an honour” to serve people in Glasgow, where he was an MSP, and across Scotland.

In February he called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign in an attempt to revive his flagging election campaign,. He was at the event in London last Friday when Mr Burnham was installed as the new Labour Party leader.

His decision to accept the position of trade minister in Andy Burnham’s government has drawn criticism from opposition politicians, who accused him of being “hypocritical” as he had previously called for the House of Lords to be scrapped.

He said he was “disappointed and sorry” for Scottish Labour’s poor performance in the Scottish Parliament elections in May, adding: “I take my fair share of responsibility for that.”

Scottish Labour won just 17 seats out of 129, a record low for the party.

“I am delighted and honoured to have been asked by the prime minister to serve every part of the United Kingdom as the Minister of State for Trade,” Sarwar wrote on X.

“Throughout my life, I have only ever been motivated by public service, the opportunity to serve our country is all I ever asked. That’s why this is an opportunity I humbly accept.”

He added: “The challenges facing the United Kingdom now could not be greater or the risks more stark.

“The rise of an emboldened new right must concentrate minds. This is a fight for the heart and soul of our nation. That’s why Andy Burnham and this Labour government must succeed.”