MICHAEL Marra has faced immediate challenges from the SNP and Scottish Greens after being elected the new leader of Scottish Labour.
The SNP called on Marra to recognise Scotland's "right to decide" its constitutional future, while the Greens accused Labour of "changing its leader without changing direction".
The North East Scotland MSP became Scottish Labour leader after he defeated Joe Fagan in a ballot of party members by 4,266 votes to 2,485, with the results announced on Saturday morning.
SNP depute leader Keith Brown congratulated Marra on his victory before challenging him to set out his position on another independence referendum.
He said: “Scotland’s constitutional future should rest with the people of Scotland and Michael Marra should be absolutely clear from the get go that he supports that simple democratic concept.
“If the Labour Party continue to deny the people of Scotland their democratic right to choose our own future, they will continue to suffer defeat after defeat.”
Brown also pointed to pro-independence governments in Wales and Northern Ireland, as he argued constitutional change was inevitable.
He added: “As we saw in Wales on Monday, there are First Ministers across these islands that support constitutional change – three of the four nations on these islands are led by pro-independence First Ministers.
“Westminster’s time is coming to an end and the question is how and when Scotland will leave it and begin a fresh start with independence.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay argued Marra could not represent the "fresh start" Labour needed following its Holyrood election defeat.
“After Anas Sarwar ran away from the mess he created for a seat in the unelected House of Lords, Scottish Labour is changing its leader without changing direction,” she said.
“Scottish Labour needs far more than Michael Marra before it will be taken seriously again. As one of the architects of the manifesto that delivered Labour its worst-ever Holyrood result, he cannot credibly present himself as the fresh start the party needs.”
Mackay also criticised Marra's support for further North Sea oil and gas development.
She said: “More drilling will do nothing to cut household bills, but it will lock us into fossil fuels while handing further profits to multinational energy companies.
“Scottish Labour’s new leadership wants to keep Scotland tied to an industry that is already costing workers jobs by failing to deliver a fair transition.”
She added that replacing Sarwar with Marra would not in itself be enough to rebuild support for the party following its election defeat.
“That will require new ideas, political courage and a willingness to stand up to the fossil-fuel giants, not yet another Scottish Labour shaped cheerleader for them,” Mackay said.
