Tag: leadership contest

Gilbert and McNeill named as Marra campaign co-chairs

LOCAL MP BACKS MARRA IN SCOTTISH LABOUR LEADERSHIP BID

Michael Marra’s bid to lead Scottish Labour will be co-chaired by Tracy Gilbert MP and Pauline McNeill MSP.

Tracy Gilbert, the MP for Edinburgh North and Leith MP, was a trade union official before being elected to Westminster in 2024.

Pauline McNeill, first elected as an MSP in 1999, was a key voice in the campaign for a Scottish Parliament.

The Marra campaign said the appointments showed Michael is the best placed leader to unite and renew Scottish Labour.

Tracy Gilbert MP said: “I’m delighted to Co-Chair Michael’s  campaign alongside Pauline.

“The elections in May were heartbreaking for so many of us in the Labour family,but they were part of a long term trend of going backwards at every Holyrood election since 1999. Something needs to change.

“Michael is the leader rooted in Labour values who can unite and renew our party to offer hope across Scotland for better jobs,better public services and fairer nation with opportunity in every community of Scotland.”

Pauline McNeill MSP said: “I am backing Michael because he will be a strong leader who has no illusions about the difficult path ahead.

“He believes passionately that we can build a credible democratic centre left party in Scotland to represent working people.

“This must be an election about ideas and policy and  I think he  is best placed to lead  the free flow of ideas  using all the talents and skills in our party and our group of MSPs.”

https://twitter.com/michaeljmarra/status/2082061104457359644/video/1

A campaign spokesperson added: “Michael has been clear this leadership campaign will have to face the tough questions about why Labour has gone backwards at every Holyrood election.

“These problems are deep rooted and require serious answers.

“Only Michael can unite and renew Scottish Labour, drawing on all of our talents to rediscover our sense of moral purpose and offer the people of Scotland hope in Scottish Labour again.”

Marra campaign names local government group co-chairs

The Michael Marra campaign has also established a local government group to strengthen the voice of Labour councillors in the Scottish Labour leadership contest.

The group will be co-chaired by Fife Council leader David Ross and South Lanarkshire leader Maureen Devlin.

Maureen Devlin said: “I’m backing Michael Marra for Scottish Labour Leader.

“He’s the candidate rooted in Labour values who can  renew and unite our party.”

David Ross said: “Michael has a positive vision for Scotland and will provide honest, straight-talking leadership, focused on better jobs and stronger public services.

“That’s what we need to unite and renew Scottish Labour.”

Michael Marra, the North East Regional list MSP running for Scottish Labour leader, served as a councillor in Dundee before being elected to Holyrood.

Michael Marra said: “I’m delighted David Ross and Maureen Devlin have agreed to co-chair our local government group as part of my campaign to unite and renew Scottish Labour.

“Labour councillors have been the last line of defence in their communities from SNP cuts and centralisation.

“As Andy Burnham makes the case for redistributing power, wealth and opportunity out of Westminster and Whitehall, we need to have the same conversation in Scotland.

“Local councillors are central to that. They lead the way for Labour in power. Their knowledge, experience and ideas will be a key way under my leadership that we unite and renew Scottish Labour.”

The leadership contest has been caused by former leader Anas Sarwar’s decision to leave Holyrood to take a seat in the unelected House of Lords.

Small Mercies: Serial liar withdraws from Tory leadership race (following another lie about numbers)

FORMER Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued the following statement last night:

Johnson’s final acceptance that the anticipated support just isn’t there for him clears the way for a run-off between hot favourite Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt – but only if the latter can attract enough votes among her fellow Tory MPs. That’s looking increasingly unlikely.

If she can’t reach the 100 vote target, we can look forward to the anointing of Rishi Sunak as our new Prime Minister, with the Tory party membership having no say.

Contest or coronation? We’ll know at 2pm.

The Conservative Leadership Contest: A Guide to the Policy Landscape 

From cost of living to the Ukraine conflict, the next Prime Minister will face a series of challenges when they enter 10 Downing Street in September.

As the Conservative leadership contest continues, it is important that the debate be substantive and based on evidence. UK in a Changing Europe and Full Fact have partnered to produce a series of evidence led, research-based assessments of the key issues confronting the country. 

The briefings have been written by experts in their field with contributions from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the London School of Economics, Health Foundation and others. 

We based our choice of issues on the IPSOS Issues Index, topics of most current concern to the UK public, and areas of debate between leadership candidates so far.

The report contains briefings on:

  • Macroeconomics by Stephen Millard (National Institute of Social and Economic Research)
  • Tax and Spend by Ben Zaranko (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
  • Economic Inequality by Robert Joyce (Institute for Fiscal Studies)
  • Education by Carole Willis (National Foundation for Educational Research)
  • Climate, the Environment and Net Zero by Gareth Redmond-King (Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit)
  • Health and Social Care by Anita Charlesworth (Health Foundation)
  • Immigration by Madeleine Sumption and Peter William Walsh (Migration Observatory)
  • Brexit by Anand Menon (UK in a Changing Europe)
  • Housing and Planning by Paul Cheshire (LSE)
  • Security, Defence and Foreign Affairs by Malcolm Chalmers (Royal United Services Institute)
  • The Union by Nicola McEwen (UK in a Changing Europe)
  • Faith and Trust in Politics by Will Jennings and Gerry Stoker (University of Southampton)

Our aim in putting together this collection was not to tell people what to think but to provide information that will help them make up their own minds—as well as equip journalists with the best available evidence as hustings continue 

As the briefings highlight, there are considerable trade-offs both within and between policy areas. With this in mind, we believe that these summaries will provide a useful primer for scrutiny of the candidates’ positions on policy as the contest continues through the Summer.

We hope that the report provides some context for this debate and provides voters with a timely and accessible analysis of the key issues in the leadership contest.

Yours sincerely, 

Anand Menon (UK in a Changing Europe)                                    Will Moy (Full Fact)

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