THE £5000 fee that candidates standing to be the next Scottish Labour leader must pay to enter the contest has been branded a “scam” by a former MSP.
First revealed by ITV, the charge is an increase on the £3000 cost for the 2021 election which saw Anas Sarwar prevail.
According to the broadcaster, the money apparently covers the cost of producing a “candidate booklet” as well as access to lists of the party’s membership, “affiliates” and local Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs).
Both the SNP and the Scottish Tories don’t charge candidates at all.
Reacting to this fee, Neil Findlay – who was a Lothian MSP from 2011 to 2021 but left the party last year – branded it a “scam” and “madness”.
“It costs £500 to stand in a General Election – electorate 70,000. And £5000 to stand as a candidate for Scottish Labour leader – electorate under 10,000,” he said on Twitter/X.
“This is a scam to stop candidates who are not favoured by the party establishment.”
It costs £500 to stand in a General Election - electorate 70,000 and £5000 to stand as a candidate for Scottish Labour leader - electorate under 10,000 This is a scam to stop candidates who are not favoured by the party establishment https://t.co/QE0bEGtBTD
— Neil Findlay (@Neilsocialist) August 7, 2026
Trade unionist Leah Stalker also hit out at the fee.
“This looks like complete racketeering to me,” she said.
“None of the candidates caused this election and I don’t see why they have to pay to stand. Find another way to raise money.”
Three candidates have entered the race to replace Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader so far – North East Scotland MSP Michael Marra, MSP for South Scotland Joe Fagan, and Glasgow MSP and former leadership contender Monica Lennon.
Lennon still does not have enough support to secure a spot on the ballot. But posting on Twitter/X on Friday as she continued her drive to be put to members, she hit out at the state of the party.
She posted in response to Labour MP Jon Trickett, who said “get Monica on the ballot paper”.
She wrote: “What @jon_trickett is saying reflects how members feel.
“After 19 years of opposition and six Holyrood election defeats, @ScottishLabour has turned to rubble.
“We need time and space to get this right before we lose more members and activists and there’s no one left to lead.”
