Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has resigned to take a seat in the House of Lords and a ministerial role in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government, triggering fierce criticism from rival parties who accuse him of hypocrisy and deception.
Sarwar's Move to Lords Draws Fire
Sarwar, who was the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer's resignation, will be made a peer and given a post at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. The Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay said: “Anas Sarwar is a chancer. He has gone from promising to scrap the House of Lords to taking a seat in it. He has spent years attacking the very institution he is now preparing to join. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.”
The SNP accused Sarwar of lying to voters, with MSP George Adam stating: “The Labour party and Anas Sarwar repeatedly denied and lied to the people of Scotland about Anas Sarwar’s intentions – the fact he will now be prancing about in ermine robes won’t be forgotten.” The SNP called on Sarwar to donate his new parliamentary salary to charity.
Timing Raises Eyebrows
The resignation comes less than three months after the Holyrood election, where Scottish Labour suffered its worst results in history. Despite the shock, sources close to Sarwar indicated the move was not premeditated. One Scottish Labour worker said: “If he was going to resign, it would have been clearer to have stated that in May and given everyone the chance to have a proper assessment and restructure things however needed. Doing it this way means everyone is thrown into the lurch.”
Sarwar will relinquish his Glasgow seat, which will be filled by Monica Lennon, a former MSP who did not win a seat in May. Lennon is also seen as a contender for the party leadership, along with Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland. The field is limited, with only 17 Labour MSPs available.
Leadership Vacuum and Devolution Concerns
A source close to Sarwar noted: “The next [Scottish] Labour leader will need to [provide] balance between the offer to Scotland that is a uniquely Scottish offer, while being part of a UK-wide party. That has been a constant conflict, a constant battle.” Another source added that the next leader would “have to do some educating of Andy Burnham … He’s the king of the north but he is prime minister of the United Kingdom.”
Criticism has emerged from Scotland that Burnham's devolution plans for England neglect the devolved nations. Scottish politicians across the spectrum have complained that Burnham lacks knowledge of, or interest in, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sarwar's appointment could help bridge that gap, one source suggested.
Ambition Versus Loyalty
While many were shocked by Sarwar's departure, a source close to him in the Labour party said: “I’m maybe less surprised than people out in the wider Labour world, because he’s someone who’s very ambitious. Politically, he’s someone who wants to effect change. He’s obviously not in power, he faced the prospect of hanging around for another five years until the next Holyrood election. I just think we would have been bored had he stayed on, and he’s not someone that would like to sit around and be bored.”
