Anas Sarwar is set to leave Holyrood after nearly a decade as a Scottish Labour MSP and is reported to be taking a seat in the House of Lords to join Andy Burnham's UK government. The move follows Scottish Labour's worst Holyrood result — 17 of 129 seats — despite earlier by-election gains in 2023 and 2025. Sarwar, who began his parliamentary career at Westminster in 2010, has said he will "absolutely" remain leader while arrangements for his new role are finalised.
Who Is Anas Sarwar? The Scottish Labour Leader Moving Back To UK Politics
[PA Media]
Anas Sarwar is preparing to leave Holyrood after nearly a decade as a Scottish Labour MSP, with reports saying he will take a seat in the House of Lords and join Andy Burnham's incoming UK government in a ministerial role. The move comes amid a damaging Holyrood election for Scottish Labour — its worst result in the parliament's history — and raises immediate questions about the party's future direction.
Sarwar became Scottish Labour deputy leader in 2011 under Johann Lamont. [PA Media]
Early Life and Political Roots
Sarwar is the son of Mohammad Sarwar, a businessman and former MP who was the UK's first Muslim Member of Parliament and later served as governor of Punjab in Pakistan. He was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow and read dentistry at the University of Glasgow. After five years working as a dentist in Paisley, he entered politics.
Scottish Labour had their worst ever result at a Holyrood election earlier this year [PA Media]
Westminster Beginnings and Move to Holyrood
At 27, Sarwar won the Glasgow Central seat in the 2010 general election — a seat previously held by his father — and served at Westminster until the 2015 general election, when the SNP swept almost all Scottish seats. He was elected as a Glasgow list MSP in 2016 and stood for the Scottish Labour leadership in 2017, losing to Richard Leonard. He returned to win the leadership contest in 2021, becoming the first non-white leader of a major UK political party.
Sarwar was one of the first major Labour figures to call for Sir Keir Starmer to resign [PA Media]
Leadership: Highs and Lows
Under Sarwar's leadership Scottish Labour enjoyed some early signs of recovery: a by-election win in 2023 that many saw as part of a wider Labour revival, and another Holyrood by-election victory in 2025. However, the party suffered a significant setback at the most recent Holyrood election, winning just 17 of 129 seats — its worst performance to date.
Election Aftermath and Internal Debate
The 2026 result left Scottish Labour tied with Reform UK as joint opposition at Holyrood. Sarwar himself was re-elected only via the regional list after the SNP won the Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok constituency. In the run-up to the election he publicly urged Sir Keir Starmer to step down as prime minister — a controversial move interpreted by some as an attempt to distance Scottish Labour's campaign from the fortunes of the UK government. After the defeat Sarwar admitted the party was "hurting," but he has said he will "absolutely" remain leader while any transition to his new role is finalised.
Key Campaigns
During his time at Holyrood Sarwar campaigned on patient safety and health service issues, notably working with families affected by infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital — including the case of 10-year-old Milly Main.
What Comes Next?
Political sources say Sarwar is expected to be appointed to a ministerial post in Andy Burnham's government following his introduction to the House of Lords. If confirmed, the development will shift the spotlight to Scottish Labour's leadership and its strategy for rebuilding after a difficult election.
Bottom line: Sarwar's move back to Westminster marks a return to the arena where his parliamentary career began, but it also punctuates a turbulent period for Scottish Labour and opens a fresh chapter in both his career and the party's future.
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