Michael Marra is elected as the new leader of the Scottish Labour Party, replacing Anas Sarwar in Holyrood. Multiple outlets report that Marra wins the leadership contest with close to two-thirds of the vote, becoming Labour’s 11th leader in Scotland.
Marra, an MSP for North East Scotland, takes over after Sarwar resigns. The reports say Sarwar quit Holyrood to join Andy Burnham’s Westminster government as a trade minister. Sky News specifies that Marra defeats rival Joe Fagan, who receives 2,485 votes, to Marra’s 4,266.
Outlets largely focus on the leadership result and the transition from Sarwar to Marra. One outlet also provides additional political context, noting that Scottish Labour had experienced its worst-ever result in the May Scottish Parliament elections, placing the new leadership in a period of challenge for the party. Other reports largely concentrate on the facts of the vote and succession.
