This month Scottish Labour began picking themselves up after the election defeat in May by electing a new party leader, Michael Marra.
The North East regional MSP defeated rival Joe Fagan by 4,266 votes to 2,485.
Discourse around the contest centred on the similarity of the two candidates and poor engagement with the party’s grassroots, as just 49.43 per cent of party members returned their ballots.
Prior to becoming an MSP, Marra worked at the University of Dundee and as a Labour Party researcher.
Touching on his background in higher education, Katherine Sangster, Lothian MSP, stated that he had “a deep care and understanding of the issues facing young people today.
“Michael understands that many of the issues faced by staff and students are shared,” she added.
This comment comes amid the ongoing industrial disputes at the University of Edinburgh.
Emma Scott, Co-President of Edinburgh Labour Students, also highlighted Marra’s experience in education, stating: “We welcome Michael Marra’s commitment to bringing education back to the centre of Scottish politics…”
“He has spoken fiercely on the ongoing crisis at Dundee and has repeatedly pressed the Scottish Government for support to universities.”
However, Emma also criticised the discourse around trans rights during the contest, and reiterated ELS’s solidarity with trans students.
Marra’s experience in the educational sector could make him an effective prosecutor of the Scottish Government’s record on this issue, but whether he can cut through to recover voters Labour has lost since 2024 remains uncertain.
Photo from Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash.
