Monica Lennon has confirmed she will stand in the Scottish Labour leadership contest as she warned her party needs radical change or it will face “oblivion”.
The former MSP, who is set to return to Holyrood, is the first politician to enter the race to succeed Anas Sarwar.
Mr Sarwar quit as Scottish Labour leader earlier in the week to take up a seat in the House of Lords and become a trade minister in Andy Burnham’s Government.
Because Mr Sarwar was a list MSP for the Glasgow region, his seat will be offered to Ms Lennon, the next person on the party’s list.
Ms Lennon, an MSP for 10 years until she lost her seat at the May election, had strongly hinted that she would run.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail, the Labour politician confirmed she would stand.
She 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.”
Ms Lennon will need to secure the required support within her party to reach the ballot, with Scottish Labour yet to confirm the rules and timetable for the contest.
The politician previously ran for the party leadership in 2021 but lost to Mr Sarwar.
It comes after Scottish Labour faced its worst result in the history of devolution in May.
