FORMER MSP Monica Lennon has launched her bid to become Scottish Labour's next leader.
Lennon, who will take Anas Sarwar’s Glasgow seat when the Scottish Parliament returns from recess following his resignation, confirmed her intention to run for the top job while warning that her party faces “oblivion” without “radical and fast change”.
Although she lost her seat in 2026, Lennon remains a high-profile party figure, having served as a Central Scotland MSP from 2016.
She previously held party roles including health and net zero spokesperson, and introduced the bill for the world-first legislation for free period products in Scotland.
Launching her bid, Lennon said: “Being outside Parliament since May has given me space to reflect and listen. I’ve spoken with members and voters who feel disappointed, disillusioned, and defeated. I’ve heard their frustration – but I’ve also felt a quiet, burning determination. Crisis demands courage.
“Anyone looking objectively at our party today would conclude a harsh reality. We are in the last chance saloon.
“Scottish Labour has gone backwards in every Holyrood election since 1999. If we do not change – radically and fast – we face oblivion.
“That is why I am putting myself forward to lead Scottish Labour because I can’t stand by and witness our terminal decline.
“We need a completely new style of leadership. A genuine ‘big tent’ approach that stops viewing internal debate as a threat and starts unleashing every talent in our party.
“This is the fightback of our lives. We can drift into irrelevance, or we can unite, reform, and win again. I can’t do it alone, but I am ready to lead that fight.
“I welcome a fair and open contest where the views of different candidates and members can be heard and debated.”
Lennon, who was defeated by Anas Sarwar in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election, recently said that a split from the UK Labour party would be considered as part of a wide-ranging review of policy over the summer.
In 2020, Lennon called for Scottish Labour to split from their UK bosses, saying: "If we look like a pressure group within a UK party structure, we will continue to be rejected."
The party’s ruling body is yet to set out a timetable for the contest.
Elsewhere, current MSP Michael Marra has signalled he is considering a tilt at the top job.
