Michael Marra (politician) explained

Michael Marra
Honorific-Suffix:MSP
Office:Member of the Scottish Parliament
for North East Scotland
Term Start:8 May 2021
Office1:Scottish Labour Portfolios
Suboffice1:Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Subterm1:May 2021 - April 2023
Suboffice2:Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance
Subterm2:April 2023 - Present
Birth Name:Michael James Marra
Party:Scottish Labour

Michael James Marra is a Scottish Labour politician who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North East Scotland since May 2021.

Early life

Michael Marra was born in Dundee in 1979. He joined the Labour Party as a teenager.[1]

Marra was educated at St John's High School, the University of Glasgow and the London School of Economics.

Before becoming an MSP, Marra worked for Oxfam and the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee.

Political career

Michael Marra was elected as a councillor in Dundee's Lochee ward in 2017.[2] He stood down at the 2022 Scottish Parliament election.

Marra previously worked for Scottish Labour Leader Iain Gray as an advisor prior to and during the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election.[3]

In November 2020, Marra was confirmed as a candidate on Labour's regional list for the North East, coinciding with his sister Jenny Marra announcing that she would not seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament.[4]

On 8 May 2021 Marra was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North East Scotland.[5] He had been appointed as Education and Skills spokesperson in Scottish Labour's campaign cabinet just before the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections.[6] He was retained as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills after the election. [7]

He has described himself as being part of Labour's "soft left".[8]

In 2021 Michael Marra won the Holyrood magazine “One For The Watching” award, a newcomer award judged by a panel made up of senior MSPs, journalists, and Scotland’s two top pollsters.

In April 2023 it was announced he would take on the role of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance [9]

Injury Time campaign

Since 2021, Marra has been campaigning for Alzheimer's disease in footballers to be classed as an industrial disease. A study carried out for the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association in 2019 discovered that there was a five-fold increase in Alzheimer’s disease among the former players.[10]

Marra had said: “The Scottish Government must recognise that these injuries are a form of industrial disease and allow these players to access the support they need, and deserve.”

Personal life

Michael Marra is married and has three children.

He is a lifelong Dundee United supporter.[11]

His uncle is the Dundonian folk singer Michael Marra, who died in 2012.

Michael Marra has an interest in the history and writings of Abraham Lincoln.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Michael Michael Marra For North east scotland . 2022-07-07 . Michael Marra . en.
  2. Web site: City Council 2017 Election Results . 2022-07-07 . Dundee City Council . en.
  3. News: Boothman . John . Ones to watch in the Holyrood class of 2021 . en . 2022-07-07 . 0140-0460.
  4. News: Michael Marra aims to replace sister Jenny as MSP . Paul . Malik . . 30 November 2020 . 8 May 2021.
  5. News: Scotland Election 2021 > North East Scotland . . 8 May 2021.
  6. Web site: Rodgers. Sienna. Sarwar unveils new 'campaign cabinet' to lead Scottish Labour into election. 2021-05-31. LabourList. en-GB.
  7. Web site: Davidson. Peter. 2021-05-31. Scottish Labour announce shadow team as Anas Sarwar focuses on national recovery. 2021-05-31. Daily Record. en.
  8. Web site: 2021-10-04 . One for the watching: An interview with Michael Marra . 2022-07-07 . Holyrood Website . en.
  9. Web site: Media . P. A. . 2023-04-10 . Sarwar declares Scottish Labour ‘election ready’ as he revamps top team . 2023-04-10 . STV News . en-GB.
  10. Web site: Labour call for dementia in former footballers to be ‘industrial disease’ . 2022-07-07 . www.scotsman.com . en.
  11. Web site: O'Neill . Emma . ‘We’re not Glaswegian about these things’: Dundee United-supporting MSP Michael Marra lodges motion congratulating Dundee on promotion . 2022-07-07 . The Courier . en-GB.
  12. Web site: 2022-03-11 . Getting to know you: Michael Marra . 2022-07-07 . Holyrood Website . en.