Anas Sarwar to be made minister in Burnham government

Anas Sarwar is to step down as Scottish Labour leader to take up a role on Andy Burnham’s government.

He is expected to take up a seat in the House of Lords, which would mean having to resign as an MSP under rules agreed in the last parliament.

Reports suggest he could be made a business minister.

Sarwar, who became leader of Scottish Labour in 2021, had positioned himself in the run-up to the 2026 election as the next first minister – but the party saw its lowest ever number of MSPs elected.

The loss has been widely attributed to the unpopularity of Keir Starmer, whom Sarwar called to resign in February.

Sarwar had previously said he intended to stay on as leader despite the defeat and his decision to go to the Lords has surprised some in the party.

A former MSP who lost their seat told Holyrood that “having done my stages of grief, I find myself saying ‘but of course’”.

Another senior source said they were “surprised but not surprised” by the move. They added: “I would have preferred him to at least stay until the local government elections next year.”

Sarwar is a Glasgow regional MSP meaning his decision to stand down will not result in a by-election. The next person on the list is former MSP Monica Lennon.

The party will now be on the hunt for its 11^th leader since devolution, with deputy Jackie Baillie taking on the role in the interim.

MSPs Michael Marra and Paul Sweeney are among the names expected to run.

Responding to the news, SNP depute leader Keith Brown accused Burnham of pulling the “most undemocratic trick in the Westminster book”.

“Anas Sarwar led Scottish Labour to their worst ever election defeat, but as is always the case with the Labour Party, there’s always a cushty number in the House of Lords. What a signal to send after their democratic defeat – this is the Labour Party literally lording it over the people of Scotland,” he said.