Scottish Labour will announce its new leader today after Anas Sarwar quit to join the House of Lords .
Michael Marra or Joe Fagan will be confirmed in the top job at an event in Edinburgh this morning - and the new leader will be immediately tasked with rebuilding the party after it suffered its worst ever Holyrood election result.
Labour was reduced to just 17 MSPs at May's poll - tying it in second place with Reform UK - with the SNP far out in front on 58.
Marra, a Dundonian who has served in the Scottish Parliament since 2021, is considered the narrow favourite by bookmakers to win the leadership.
Fagan, a former leader of South Lanarkshire Council, has only been an MSP since May but has quickly won the support of colleagues at both Holyrood and Westminster.
His campaign was boosted by winning the endorsement of the GMB and Unison trade unions, while Marra was endorsed by ASLEF and Community.
The contest was triggered in July when Sarwar, who had led the party since 2021, resigned after being offered a peerage by Andy Burnham.
He now serves as a UK Trade Minister.
The leadership race has been viewed as a subdued affair with little....
