A senior Labour MSP has announced his candidacy to succeed Anas Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader, vowing to restore the party's 'moral purpose' and address six consecutive Holyrood election defeats.
Michael Marra, the North East MSP and finance spokesperson, told the Record that creating a 'better' and 'more equal' Scotland would be his 'driving ambition' as leader.
He said: 'The promise of our Scottish Labour Party is that we build a better, more equal nation, and we leave it as a legacy for our children.'
Marra's Leadership Pledge
Marra's declaration comes after Sarwar angered party members by quitting the leadership to join the House of Lords and Andy Burnham's Government. His abrupt departure is likely to lead to a contest between Marra and Monica Lennon, who will soon take Sarwar's place at Holyrood.
Marra will launch his campaign on Tuesday with a social media video, but he confirmed his intentions to the Record first. The Dundonian, who used to be an anti-poverty campaigner with Oxfam, will pledge to renew his party after a fifth Holyrood election defeat to the SNP in a row.
He said: 'That is a moral purpose. But too often it can become clouded in the day to day of our politics. In this moment of renewal for our party, we must restate that purpose. But we also have to listen. We have to learn. And we have to change.'
Sarwar's Departure and Party Contest
He said the problems for his party run deeper than May's defeat and go back decades: 'This is not a question of reacting to one bad defeat. Scottish Labour has gone backwards six Holyrood elections in a row. That better, more equal Scotland is my driving ambition. It's what gets me up in the morning. It's what motivates me to stand up for the people I grew up with here in Dundee.'
He added: 'In reality, leadership isn't a job for one person. It's for all of us. So I'm offering the skills, the experience, and the character to lead us on that road to recovery.'
Marra, his party’s finance spokesperson, is understood to have strong support among Labour MPs and MSPs. The former councillor was educated at Glasgow University and the London School of Economics.
Background and Support
His family is from the Lochee area of Dundee and his great grandfather founded the Jute and Flaxworkers trade union, as well as the Independent Labour Party in Dundee. He joined Labour as a teenager and delivered his first leaflets during the 1987 general election as an 8 year old.
Lennon, who lost her seat in May but will be back as an MSP imminently, announced she was running on Sunday. It is understood contenders will need the support of three MSPs, three MPs and three affiliated groups to become a candidate. Other names mentioned include MSPs Paul Sweeney and Daniel Johnson, but both are thought unlikely to stand.
