Scottish Labour Leadership Race: Monica Lennon, Anas Sarwar Exit

Scottish Labour is facing one of its most uncertain periods since devolution. The party is searching for a new leader after Anas Sarwar resigned to join Andy Burnham's government as a peer and minister at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. The move, which came less than three months after the party recorded its worst Holyrood result since 1999, has triggered a leadership contest and a fierce debate about the party's direction.

Monica Lennon has announced she will stand to become leader of Scottish Labour. Writing in the Sunday Mail, Lennon said the party needed "radical and fast change" or risked facing "oblivion." She described the party as being in the "last chance saloon." Lennon, who lost her Holyrood seat in May but returned after Sarwar opened up a regional seat when he stepped down, is positioning herself as the candidate for a complete overhaul.

"I've spoken with members and voters who feel disappointed, disillusioned, and defeated," Lennon wrote. "I've heard their frustration — but I've also felt a quiet, burning determination. Crisis demands courage." She added that the party had "gone backwards in every Holyrood election since 1999" and warned: "If we do not change — radically and fast — we face oblivion."

Lennon is calling for a "completely new style of leadership" and a "genuine 'big tent' approach that stops viewing internal debate as a threat and starts unleashing every talent in our party." Her pitch is a direct response to the strategic failures that led to May's electoral defeat, and a repudiation of the leadership style that preceded it.

Scottish Labour Leadership Contest: Key Candidates

Sarwar's departure has been met with fury from rival parties. The SNP and Scottish Greens have accused him of hypocrisy, noting his previous opposition to the House of Lords. Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay called Sarwar a "chancer" and said "the hypocrisy is breathtaking." SNP MSP George Adam accused Sarwar of lying to the electorate, saying: "The Labour party and Anas Sarwar repeatedly denied and lied to the people of Scotland about Anas Sarwar's intentions — the fact he will now be prancing about in ermine robes won't be forgotten."

Within the party, the reaction is more mixed but no less pointed. There is a live debate about Sarwar's strategy, and questions are being asked of campaign co-directors Jackie Baillie and Douglas Alexander. Some see Sarwar's appointment as a reward for failure, given the Holyrood defeat. Others view it as a reward for treachery: Sarwar was the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer to resign, a move that undermined the then prime minister and ultimately benefited Andy Burnham.

Sarwar had said he would stick around as leader to steady the ship after the election defeat. His swift exit contradicts that position and has deepened the sense of crisis. The party now faces the task of rebuilding trust with voters who feel disappointed, disillusioned, and defeated — Lennon's own words — while also navigating the internal fallout from Sarwar's decision.

What Comes Next for Scottish Labour?

The leadership contest will be a test of whether Scottish Labour can chart a course away from the decline that has defined its electoral performance since 1999. Lennon's emphasis on a "big tent" approach suggests she wants to broaden the party's appeal, but she will need to convince members that she can deliver the radical change she promises.

The party's rivals are already circling. The SNP, which held power for a fifth consecutive term in May, will be keen to exploit Labour's internal turmoil. The Scottish Greens, emboldened by their own position in government, will continue to paint Labour as out of touch and hypocritical.

For Scottish Labour, the stakes could not be higher. The party has gone backwards in every Holyrood election since 1999. The question now is whether a new leader can reverse that trend — or whether the party is destined for further decline.