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 (August 3), 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.

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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 August 17.

A ballot of members and affiliated supporters will open on August 28 and close roughly three weeks later on September 17.

A new leader will be announced at a special conference on September 19, the week before the UK-wide Labour Party conference – which kicks off in Liverpool on September 27.

So far, Monica Lennon and Michael Marra are the only two candidates to announce their bid for the party leadership, but several other MSPs are also understood to be considering entering the contest – including Katy Clark and Joe Fagan.

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