Anas Sarwar to Quit Scottish Labour After 17-Seat Election Loss, Join Burnham Government
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 21
Anas Sarwar to Quit Scottish Labour After 17-Seat Election Loss, Join Burnham Government
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 21
Summary
Official confirmation is expected within hours that Anas Sarwar will step down as Scottish Labour leader and leave Holyrood to become a minister in Andy Burnham's government.
A Westminster role would require Sarwar to take a House of Lords seat, with new rules barring politicians from serving simultaneously at Westminster and Holyrood.
Sarwar is expected to become a business minister, creating a leadership vacancy in Scottish Labour just months after he said he would stay on.
The move follows Scottish Labour's poor May election result, when the party won 17 of 129 seats, and comes after Sarwar's February call for Keir Starmer to resign.