New Scottish Labour leader to be announced in mid-September, LabourList reveals

A new Scottish Labour leader will be in place by the time of September’s annual UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool, LabourList can reveal.

LabourList has seen the timetable agreed by the Scottish Executive Committee for the election of a new leader for the party following the resignation of Anas Sarwar.

Sarwar, who led the party in May’s Holyrood elections, stood down after being appointed a trade minister in Andy Burnham’s government.

His resignation as an MSP means his former leadership rival Monica Lennon will return to the Scottish Parliament. She has already indicated her intention to run in the upcoming contest.

Nominations for those seeking election will open on Monday, with prospective candidates needing the backing of at least three Scottish Labour MPs, alongside at least three Scottish Labour MSPs and at least three affiliates – of which two need to be trade unions.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

LabourList understands there will be a two-week period for candidates to seek nominations from MPs and MSPs, before a week-long affiliate nomination stage starts on the week beginning August 17.

Members and affiliates will be balloted on who should be the next leader of Scottish Labour from the week beginning August 24. LabourList understands that members will have around three weeks to cast their vote.

A new leader will be announced at a special conference the week before the UK-wide Labour Party conference, which kicks off in Liverpool on September 27.

So far, Lennon is the only candidate to announce a bid for the party leadership, but several other MSPs are also said to be considering entering the contest – including Paul Sweeney, Michael Marra and Katy Clark.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].