Michael Marra has been elected as the new Scottish Labour leader in the race to replace Anas Sarwar.
Mr Marra secured the leadership of Scottish Labour, triumphing in a ballot of party members in Edinburgh this morning with 4,266 votes against Joe Fagan’s 2,485.
The North East Scotland MSP becomes the eleventh person to lead the party during the devolution era.
His predecessor, Mr Sarwar, stepped down from Holyrood in July after accepting a trade minister position in Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Government.
Voting in the contest commenced on 28 August, with the ballot closing on Thursday after both candidates participated in hustings events across Scotland.
The incoming leader inherits a party at its lowest ebb, with May’s Scottish Parliament elections delivering just 17 MSPs—the poorest performance since devolution began.
The contest marked Scottish Labour’s fifth straight defeat in Holyrood elections.
Mr Sarwar previously characterised the Scottish Labour leadership as the “hardest job in British politics”.
Michael Marra elected new Scottish Labour leader
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PA
Mr Marra now faces the formidable task of reversing the party’s fortunes amongst Scottish voters after this historic low point.
The dramatic decline in parliamentary representation leaves the new leader with limited resources and diminished influence at Holyrood.
Born in Dundee in 1979, Mr Marra hails from a family with deep trade unionist connections and grew up attending Labour demonstrations alongside his sister and parents.
He characterises himself as being fundamentally “rooted in Labour”, having joined the party as a teenager.
Mr Marra faces the task of reversing the party’s fortunes amongst Scottish voters after this historic low point
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PA
His academic credentials include a history degree from Glasgow University, which he obtained in 2001, followed by a postgraduate qualification in economics and international development from the London School of Economics. Before his parliamentary career began, he was employed at Dundee University.
Mr Marra served as a councillor in Dundee before gaining election to Holyrood in 2021, representing the same North East Scotland constituency his sister Jenny had previously held before standing down.
He was appointed education spokesman shortly after entering parliament, later transitioning to the finance brief in 2023.
He played a significant role in developing Scottish Labour’s manifesto for the 2026 election.
Michael Marra played a significant role in developing Scottish Labour’s manifesto for the 2026 election
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PA
In his acceptance speech delivered in Edinburgh, Mr Marra emphasised party unity and the collective nature of leadership.
“To everyone who voted, however you voted, thank you,” he said.
“It is the honour of my life to be elected leader of the Scottish Labour Party.”
He extended an inclusive message across factional divides: “Whatever tradition of the party you come from, whatever candidate you supported in this contest, whatever your role in our movement, there is a place for you in the Labour family. Because leadership is not about one person. It is about all of us.”
Setting out his strategic approach, Mr Marra argued: “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.
“That’s what Andy Burnham’s success in Manchester was all about. It was starting with the people and the policy, not the politics.”
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