SCOTTISH Labour will remain leaderless for three weeks after Holyrood returns from recess.
The news comes as the party’s executive committee confirmed the timetable for the contest to replace Anas Sarwar.
At the same time, Michael Marra, a close Sarwar ally, threw his hat into the ring to become Scottish Labour leader.
So far, the only other confirmed candidate is Monica Lennon, the left-wing challenger who was defeated by Sarwar in the 2021 party leadership contest.
The new leadership race was triggered after Sarwar reneged on his pledges never to take a seat in the House of Lords and to “absolutely” remain as Scottish Labour leader following their historically poor Holyrood election results in May.
In a move that has been labelled a “reward for failure”, Sarwar will become a life peer and a UK Government trade minister under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Confirming the timetable of the contest to replace him, Scottish Labour’s executive committee said that nominations for the leadership would officially open at 10am on Monday, August 3.
Nominations will then close at midday on Monday, August 17, with a deadline for withdrawals or voter eligibility disputes set for 5pm the same day.
Supporting nominations, where party affiliates such as Labour-linked trade unions can endorse a candidate, will then run for a week until 10am on Monday, August 24.
The ballot will then officially open on Friday, August 28, and close on Thursday, September 17 at 5pm.
The Scottish Parliament will return from its summer recess on August 31, meaning that Scottish Labour will not have a leader for the first three weeks of the new session.
The victor in the leadership contest will ultimately be announced on Saturday, September 19, at a “leadership special conference”.
Jackie Baillie, the acting leader of Scottish Labour, said: “I want to thank Anas Sarwar for his leadership and friendship.
“He led the Scottish Labour Party with integrity and a vision to build a fairer and more equal Scotland.
“The Scottish Executive Committee have tonight agreed a timetable for the election of the next leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
“The agreed process guarantees a fair and open contest, while ensuring we are able to progress at pace and elect a new Leader without delay.
“This will allow us to continue to build on the hard work of recent years and take Scottish Labour forward, ready to hold the SNP to account and confront the poisonous politics of Reform in Scotland.”
