Monica Lennon officially launches Scottish Labour leadership bid
Monica Lennon is one of the favourites to become the next Scottish Labour leader as she preparest to return to Holyrood
Monica Lennon has officially launched her bid to succeed Anas Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader.
Ms Lennon, who is the first candidate to formally put themselves forward for leadership, said her party faces “oblivion” without “radical and fast change”.
Despite losing her seat at May’s election, Ms Lennon is expected to automatically replace Mr Sarwar in the Scottish Parliament as he was elected on the regional list.
Mr Sarwar has left Holyrood to take up a peerage in the House of Lords and become UK trade minister in Andy Burnham’s government.
Writing in the Sunday Mail, Ms Lennon said: “Being outside parliament since May has given me space to reflect and listen. I’ve spoken with members and voters who feel disappointed, disillusioned, and defeated.
“I’ve heard their frustration - but I’ve also felt a quiet, burning determination. Crisis demands courage.
“Anyone looking objectively at our party today would conclude a harsh reality. We are in the last chance saloon.
“Scottish Labour has gone backwards in every Holyrood election since 1999. If we do not change - radically and fast - we face oblivion.
“That is why I am putting myself forward to lead Scottish Labour because I can’t stand by and witness our terminal decline.
“We need a completely new style of leadership. A genuine ‘big tent’ approach that stops viewing internal debate as a threat and starts unleashing every talent in our party.
“This is the fightback of our lives. We can drift into irrelevance, or we can unite, reform, and win again. I can’t do it alone, but I am ready to lead that fight.”
Ms Lennon previously ran to be party leader back in 2021, but lost out to Mr Sarwar.
She said losing the May election to the SNP “broke my heart” but said “the brutal truth of politics is yes, it can go on like this”.
She said the party is currently on “a road to nowhere” because 80 per cent of voters have written Scottish Labour off.
In her leadership launch, she also praised new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. She said: “He showed what happens when Labour sounds confidently, unapologetically Labour.
“I’m so glad he didn’t give up on his mission to change the UK Labour leadership before it sleepwalked towards the mass loss of MPs at the next general election and putting Labour out of government for a generation.
“Delivering a ‘Number 10 North’, he proved taking power out of Westminster works when backed by authentic conviction.
“Most importantly, he put the cost-of-living first - tackling energy bills and capping bus fares to give working families breathing space.
“I campaigned for Andy in Makerfield. Seeing Reform UK posters everywhere was daunting, but respect for Andy’s economic and social justice track record cut straight through the hard-right noise.
“We must learn from his victory - and heed his warning: this is our last chance.”
The party’s finance spokesman Michael Marra MSP is also expected to stand in a leadership contest, and some of the other names floated include Burnham ally Paul Sweeney MSP and Edinburgh Southern MSP Daniel Johnson.
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