Michael Marra
Scottish Labour MSP floated by colleagues as a possible leadership candidate.
Marra, a Scottish Labour MSP, has been floated as a possible candidate in the leadership contest that opened on 3 August 2026 after Anas Sarwar's resignation, with nominations closing on 17 August.
Last refreshed: 12 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will Michael Marra enter the Scottish Labour leadership race?
Timeline for Michael Marra
Cleared the parliamentary nomination threshold to reach the leadership ballot
UK Local Elections 2026: Lennon is off the Scottish Labour ballotFloated by colleagues as a possible candidate
UK Local Elections 2026: Scottish Labour opens a contest Sarwar left earlyDeclared as a candidate for the Scottish Labour leadership
UK Local Elections 2026: Three run for Scottish Labour leaderBackground
Michael Marra is a Scottish Labour MSP standing for the party leadership, a post Anas Sarwar left vacant when he resigned on 22 July 2026.
He is one of three declared candidates, alongside Monica Lennon and Joe Fagan, in a contest that opened on 3 August and closes on 17 August 2026. Nominations from MSPs, MPs and affiliated organisations decide WHO reaches the members' ballot.
As one of only three candidates in a field Monica Lennon has said is stacked against women, Marra's own PATH through nomination is being watched as a test of whether the threshold favours a man over an equally serious female rival.
Marra weighs a bid for Labour's leadership
Marra was named as a declared candidate for the Scottish Labour leadership on 2 August 2026, standing alongside Monica Lennon and Joe Fagan after Anas Sarwar's resignation left the post open.
Reaching the ballot requires nominations from MSPs, MPs and affiliated organisations, submitted before nominations close at 10:00 on 17 August 2026. If more than one candidate clears that bar, members vote from 28 August to a result on 19 September, with interim leader Jackie Baillie having already ruled herself out of standing for the post Sarwar vacated.
Is Michael Marra standing for the Scottish Labour leadership?
Is Michael Marra standing for Scottish Labour leader?
Who has declared for the Scottish Labour leadership so far?
When do nominations close for the Scottish Labour leadership?
What role does Michael Marra hold?
