Scottish Labour needs to be a 'national party once again', new leader Marra says

Scottish Labour's newly elected leader, Michael Marra, has stated that his party must become "a national party once again" to reconnect with voters across the country. Speaking on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show, Marra acknowledged that reconnecting with the entire nation is a "huge job" and a "long-term job".

Marra believes that Scottish Labour has to "recreate" itself as a national party, emphasizing the need to open its doors to the whole country and share its values of equality, solidarity, good public services, and a decent life for working people. He wants Labour to take those values to all parts of the country and engage in a real conversation to rebuild the party's presence.

Despite the party's decline in MSPs at every successive Holyrood election, Marra insists that the issue goes beyond the unpopularity of former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. He asserts that the problem is "longer term" and emphasizes the need for a "new series of devolution deals for Scotland," where the UK Government would contribute funding while the Scottish Government transfers powers to local areas to help grow the economy.