Michael Marra (politician)

Michael Marra was born in Dundee in 1979. He joined the Labour Party as a teenager.{{Cite web |title=About Michael {{!}} Michael Marra For North east scotland |url=https://www.michaelmarra.net/about |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Michael Marra |language=en}}

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.

Michael Marra was elected as a councillor in Dundee's Lochee ward in 2017.{{Cite web |title=City Council 2017 Election Results |url=https://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/city-council-2017-election-results |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Dundee City Council |language=en}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Boothman |first=John |title=Ones to watch in the Holyrood class of 2021 |newspaper=The Times |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/ones-to-watch-in-the-holyrood-class-of-2021-bb297n833 |access-date=7 July 2022 |issn=0140-0460}}

In the 2015 United Kingdom general election, he contested Dundee West but lost to Chris Law from the SNP.

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/1776028/michael-marra-msp/ |title= Michael Marra aims to replace sister Jenny as MSP |first= Paul |last=Malik |work=The Courier | date=30 November 2020 |access-date=8 May 2021}}

On 8 May 2021 Marra was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North East Scotland.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2021/scotland/regions/S17000014 |title=Scotland Election 2021 > North East Scotland |work=BBC News | access-date=8 May 2021}} He had been appointed as Education and Skills spokesperson in Scottish Labour's campaign cabinet just before the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections.{{Cite web|last=Rodgers|first=Sienna|title=Sarwar unveils new 'campaign cabinet' to lead Scottish Labour into election|url=https://labourlist.org/2021/03/sarwar-unveils-new-campaign-cabinet-to-lead-scottish-labour-into-election/|access-date=31 May 2021|website=LabourList|date=March 2021 |language=en-GB}} He was retained as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills after the election. {{Cite web|last=Davidson|first=Peter|date=31 May 2021|title=Scottish Labour announce shadow team as Anas Sarwar focuses on national recovery|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-labour-announces-shadow-team-24220859|access-date=31 May 2021|website=Daily Record|language=en}}

He has described himself as being part of Labour's "soft left".{{Cite web |date=4 October 2021 |title=One for the watching: An interview with Michael Marra |url=https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,one-for-the-watching |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Holyrood Website |language=en}}

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 {{Cite web |last=Media |first=P. A. |date=10 April 2023 |title=Sarwar declares Scottish Labour 'election ready' as he revamps top team |url=https://news.stv.tv/politics/anas-sarwar-says-scottish-labour-are-election-ready-as-he-revamps-his-top-team |access-date=10 April 2023 |website=STV News |language=en-GB}}

Marra backed the UK Government’s decision to introduce means-testing for the Winter Fuel Payment, voting in the Scottish Parliament against calls to reverse the decision.{{Cite web |date=8 October 2024 |title=How every MSP voted as Holyrood rejected the UK's Winter Fuel Payment cut |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/24639083.winter-fuel-payment-cuts-full-list-labour-msps-oppose/ |access-date=9 October 2024 |website=The National |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Labour call for dementia in former footballers to be 'industrial disease' |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/labour-call-for-dementia-in-former-footballers-to-be-industrial-disease-3390206 |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=www.scotsman.com |language=en}}

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.”

Michael Marra is married and has three children.

He is a lifelong Dundee United supporter.{{Cite web |last=O'Neill |first=Emma |title='We're not Glaswegian about these things': Dundee United-supporting MSP Michael Marra lodges motion congratulating Dundee on promotion |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/2255920/msp-congratulates-dundee-on-premiership-promotion-despite-being-united-fan/ |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=The Courier |date=26 May 2021 |language=en-GB}}

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.{{Cite web |date=11 March 2022 |title=Getting to know you: Michael Marra |url=https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,getting-to-know-you-michael-marra |access-date=7 July 2022 |website=Holyrood Website |language=en}}

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Dundee

Category:Labour MSPs

Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026

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