Lennon criticises ‘nasty’ Scottish Labour as leadership bid fails

Scottish Labour Leadership Race Tightens as Exiled MSP Slams Party Over Trans Treatment

Constantvpn.com – The contest to replace Anas Sarwar at the helm of Scottish Labour has entered its final phase with two candidates locked in a vote running from 28 August through 17 September, but the race has been overshadowed by a stinging rebuke from a former member of parliament who fell short of the nomination threshold. Monica Lennon, a decade-long MSP and outspoken advocate for transgender rights, described her own party as “quite nasty” and accused it of harbouring “a problem when it comes to trans people” after she could not gather enough backing to join the ballot.

Lennon’s comments land against a backdrop of deep internal fracture. Scottish Labour suffered its worst-ever result at the Holyrood election in May, finishing joint second with Reform. The defeat prompted Sarwar, who had led the party since 2021, to announce in July that he would step down as both Scottish leader and MSP in order to take a ministerial role in Andy Burnham’s government. His departure triggered the leadership contest now unfolding, with Michael Marra and Joe Fagan as the sole candidates.

A Voice Pushed to the Margins

Lennon, who was not re-elected in May and now sits as the next name on the Glasgow regional list, made her criticisms known to reporters in the days following the nomination deadline. She framed her intervention not as a personal grievance but as a warning about the direction of travel for a party she believes is alienating its own base.

“I don’t know if we have any transgender members left in Scottish Labour. They’re certainly not voting for us.”

She went further, urging the two men on the ballot to “do better” and declaring that “punching down on trans people and other minorities is not acceptable.” Lennon, who had actively supported the gender-reform legislation debated in the Scottish Parliament, also took aim at what she described as anonymous briefings circulating during the campaign, arguing they created a culture of fear around candid debate.

“If you’re going to put yourself forward to be a man who is safeguarding women’s rights then think about how you treat the LGBTQ community as well in its entirety.”

Her frustration extended to the shrinking membership base itself. She pointed to the fact that Scottish Labour now numbers only around 11,000 members and attributed that attrition to a pattern of internal exclusion.

“I won’t be silenced. I’m not going anywhere. Frankly too many people have been pushed out of the Labour Party already in Scotland. That’s why we only have 11,000 members.”

Despite the sharpness of her critique, Lennon closed her remarks by wishing both candidates well, calling for “a battle of ideas,” and cautioning the party against any drift to the right.

Candidates Respond

Joe Fagan, who has voiced scepticism about recent Scottish Parliament moves to simplify the process by which an individual changes their legally recognised sex, addressed the “nasty” label directly. He said he did not recognise the description and, when pressed on the trans-rights dimension of Lennon’s criticism, offered a measured reply.

“We need to go forward with compassion, we don’t punch down on anyone.”

Fagan framed the contest in broader strategic terms, insisting it was “more than understanding what went wrong” for the party after the May rout.

“It is about what Labour does next. It is about respecting work, backing our communities and giving working people real power over the future, not asking them simply to live with decisions made elsewhere.”

Michael Marra, the North East Scotland MSP, struck a more conciliatory tone. He described himself as “humbled” to be on the ballot and expressed hope for a “good spirited and comradely contest.” He positioned himself as the unifying figure the party needs after its electoral collapse.

“The next leader of Scottish Labour has a huge task: to unite our party, rediscover our soul and reconnect with Scotland. I am the candidate who can do that.”

Marra also offered Lennon his commiserations, describing her as “one of the most formidable and effective campaigners the Labour movement has” — a gesture that underscored how deeply respected she remains within the broader movement even as she sits outside the formal contest.

Background and Mechanics of the Vote

Sarwar, who had led Scottish Labour since 2021, declined to endorse either candidate during an Edinburgh Fringe event earlier this month, though he did warn both contenders and their campaign teams against infighting. Since his departure, Dame Jackie Baillie has served as acting leader, keeping the party’s parliamentary operations running through the transition.

Several procedural details shape the aftermath. New rules now prevent a politician from simultaneously holding seats at both Westminster and Holyrood, which is why Sarwar’s move into Burnham’s government required him to vacate his Scottish seat. Because he was originally elected via the regional list rather than as a constituency representative, no by-election will be held for his Holyrood seat. Lennon, as the next name on the Glasgow list, will step into parliament in his place.

The winner of the leadership contest will be announced on 19 September. Whoever takes the leadership inherits a party that has lost roughly half its Holyrood representation, carries a membership base that has contracted sharply, and faces the immediate task of rebuilding credibility with Scottish voters who punished the party in May. Lennon’s intervention, though delivered from outside the ballot, crystallises the internal tensions — over trans rights, over campaign culture, over the direction of the party’s politics — that the new leader will have to navigate from day one.