Sarwar could leave Holyrood for House of Lords role

Anas Sarwar could leave Holyrood for a seat in the House of Lords, a move that would remove Scottish Labour’s leader from the Scottish Parliament and shift one of the party’s most prominent figures into Westminster’s upper chamber.

Sarwar is a Glasgow MSP and Scottish Labour’s candidate for First Minister of Scotland. Born in Glasgow in 1983, he is 43, the son of Mohammad Sarwar, the UK’s first Muslim MP, and the first Muslim and person of colour to lead a major political party in Britain. He lives in Glasgow with his wife Furheen, an NHS dentist, and their three children. He studied dentistry at Hutchesons’ Grammar School and Glasgow University before moving into frontline politics.

The possible shift comes after a bruising period for Scottish Labour. Sarwar broke ranks in February to demand Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, but later said he had a good working relationship with Andy Burnham. After Labour’s worst ever result at a Scottish Parliament election, when the party lost four seats, Sarwar insisted he would “absolutely” stay on as Scottish Labour leader.

A move to the Lords would place Sarwar in the second chamber of UK Parliament, where peers scrutinise bills, question government action and investigate public policy. Labour has already introduced legislation to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers.

Sarwar has been at the forefront of Scottish politics for a decade, and removing him from Holyrood would force the party to elevate other figures.