The Scottish Labour leadership contest intensified after Michael Marra and Joe Fagan clashed during a lively televised debate.
The two candidates faced each other on Scotland Tonight on Wednesday evening. STV political editor Colin Mackay hosted the debate as both candidates campaign to replace Anas Sarwar. Sarwar stepped down as Scottish Labour leader after receiving a seat in the House of Lords. The contest now centres on competing visions for the party’s future direction.
Fagan challenged Marra over his role in developing Labour’s manifesto for the recent Scottish election. He pointed to the party’s disappointing result, which left Labour with just 17 MSPs. The South Scotland MSP questioned whether Marra should accept greater responsibility for the election result. He also asked why members should trust Marra to deliver a different outcome.
Marra rejected the suggestion that he alone shaped Labour’s previous manifesto. He explained that the party leader ultimately decides its final direction. The North-East MSP said a manifesto under his leadership would look significantly different. However, he warned that changing several policies would not resolve Labour’s wider problems.
Instead, Marra argued that Scottish Labour needs a much broader political change. His comments highlighted the growing differences between the two candidates. Fagan has presented himself as a candidate seeking major change within Scottish Labour. He has also criticised what he calls “continuity Starmerism” in Scottish politics.
Marra, meanwhile, rejected suggestions that his campaign represents continuity. He pointed to recent negative briefings about his leadership bid as evidence of his challenge to the party establishment. According to Marra, criticism from within Labour shows that his campaign threatens established approaches. He argued that opponents would not target him so strongly if he represented continuity.
The debate also turned to the question of additional powers for the Scottish Parliament. Both candidates struggled to provide a detailed list of specific powers they would seek. Marra instead focused on tackling child poverty through cooperation between governments. He said Labour should consider additional powers if they could help meet Scotland’s child poverty targets.
He also called for discussions with both the UK and Scottish governments. Marra argued that Labour should take a practical approach to securing greater powers. Fagan focused more closely on Scotland’s fiscal framework. He said an upcoming review could provide an opportunity to examine the Parliament’s spending and borrowing powers.
The disagreement reflected the wider challenge facing Scottish Labour after the election. The party now has a much smaller parliamentary presence than many supporters had expected. Both candidates face pressure to rebuild Labour’s support before the next major electoral contests. Their leadership campaigns have therefore focused heavily on reconnecting with Scottish voters.
Marra has served as an MSP since 2021 and has several years of experience at Holyrood. Fagan entered the Scottish Parliament for the first time in May. Before becoming an MSP, Fagan served as leader of South Lanarkshire Council for four years. His local government background has become an important part of his campaign.
Fagan has placed grassroots campaigning at the centre of his leadership bid. He wants Labour to rebuild relationships with communities across Scotland. Marra has instead positioned himself as a candidate prepared to challenge established approaches. He has argued that Labour needs fundamental change rather than limited policy adjustments.
The two candidates now have several weeks to convince Labour members of their competing visions. Voting will open on August 28 and continue until September 17. Scottish Labour will announce its new leader on September 19. The result will determine the party’s direction following its disappointing election performance.
It will also establish the leadership team responsible for rebuilding Labour’s position across Scotland. The new leader will face pressure to restore confidence among voters and party members. For now, the debate has exposed clear differences between Marra and Fagan. Both candidates agree that Scottish Labour needs change, but they disagree over its scale and direction.
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