Anas Sarwar

Anas Sarwar MSP
Leader o the Scots Labor Pairty
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 February 2021
Depute	Jackie Baillie
UK party leader	Keir Starmer
Precedit bi	Richard Leonard
Actin 24 October 2014 – 13 December 2014
UK party leader	Ed Miliband
Precedit bi	Johann Lamont
Succeedit bi	Jim Murphy
Deputy Leader o the Scots Labor Pairty
In office 17 December 2011 – 13 December 2014
Leader	Johann Lamont
Precedit bi	Johann Lamont
Succeedit bi	Kezia Dugdale
Shadow posts Scots Labour Spokesbodie for the Constitution In office 16 November 2020 – 1 March 2021 Leader Richard Leonard Jackie Baillie (Acting) Precedit bi Alex Rowley Succeedit bi Colin Smyth Scots Labour Spokesbodie for Health and Sport In office 25 Mey 2016 – 4 October 2018 Leader Kezia Dugdale Richard Leonard Precedit bi Jenny Marra Succeedit bi Monica Lennon Shadow Minister for International Development In office 5 November 2014 – 8 May 2015 Leader Ed Miliband Precedit bi Alison McGovern Succeedit bi Mike Kane
Parliamentary offices Member o the Scots Pairlament for Glesga (1 o 7 Regional MSPs) Incumbent Assumed office 5 Mey 2016 Member o Pairlament for Glesga Central In office 6 Mey 2010 – 30 Mairch 2015 Precedit bi Mohammad Sarwar Succeedit bi Alison Thewliss
Personal details
Born	(1983-03-14) 14 Mairch 1983 Glesga, Scotland
Poleetical pairty	Scots Labour
Spoose(s)	Furheen Ashrif (m. 2006)
Bairns	3
Relatives	Mohammad Sarwar (faither)
Alma mater	University o Glesga
Wabsteid	anassarwar.co.uk

Anas Sarwar (born 14 Mairch 1983) is a Scots politician that haes serrt as Leader o the Scots Labour Pairty sin 2021. He haes been a Memmer o the Scots Pairlament (MSP) fur the Glesga region sin 2016, haein been Member o Parliament (MP) fur Glesga Central frae 2010 til 2015. Ideologically, he identifies as a Brownite.

Born in Glesga tae Pakistani Muslim parents, Sarwar got his scuilin at Hutchesons' Grammar Scuil an studied general dentistry at the University o Glesga. He wirkit in Paisley as a dentist til he wis eleckit as Memmer o Pairlament fur the Glesga Central seat at the 2010 general election whan he succeedit his reteerin faither, Mohammad Sarwar. In his time in the Hoose o Commons, he serrt as Deputy Leader o the Scots Labour Pairty frae 2011 til 2014.

Sarwar lost his seat tae the Scots National Pairty (SNP) at the 2015 general election. Efter depairtin Wastmeinster, he wis eleckit at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election on the Glesga regional leet. He stuid fur pairty heidship at the 2017 Scots Labour leadership election but lost tae Richard Leonard, an wis eleckit as Leader o the Scots Labour Pairty in the 2021 leadership election.

Early life an thrift

Sarwar wis born on the 14 Mairch 1983 in Glesga tae Perveen an Mohammad Sarwar, baith Pakistani Muslims. He is the youngest o fower bairns angot his scuilin at Hutchesons' Grammar Scuil, a independent schuil in Glesga. He graduatit frae the University o Glesga wi a degree in general dentistry in 2005, becomin an NHS general dentist in Paisley until 2010 whan he wis eleckit as an MP. Sarwar becam a memmer o Scots Labour at the age o 16 an wis an executive memmer o Scottish Young Labour. He later jynt the Co-operative Party, Fabian Society, trade unions Unite an Community an pressure group Progress, whaur he serrt as a vice-chair.

Political career

2007 Scots Pairlament election

Fur the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Sarwar wis waled tae staund as the heidmaist regional leet candidate fur the Glesga region. He wis a memmer o Labour's Scottish Policy Forum that wis responsible fur makin the Scots Labour Pairty manifesto fur that election, but wi nae success.

Memmer o Pairlament: 2010–2015

Sarwar wis eleckit at the 2010 general election as MP fur Glesga Central, succeedin his faither Mohammad Sarwar, the first-iver Muslim MP in the UK, winnin wi a greater majority nor the last election. He wis eleckit bi colleagues tae serr on the International Development Select Committee. Furren policy an international development wis amang his pairlamentary interests, wi speciefic areas o concern bein Palestine an Kashmir. He wis co-chair o the All Party Parliamentary Group on anti-corruption as weel, an wis a memmer o the Welfare Reform Bill Committee. In Januar 2013, Sarwar wis awairdit the Politician of the Year awaird at the British Muslim Awards.

In 2013, Sarwar teuk a strang line in atteckin baith the "Bedroom Tax" an the Scots Guvernment fur its failure tae lessen its waur effecks. In a vote on its repeal, Sarwar wis in Pakistan, giein a speak tae students at Hajvery University, an sicweys wis paired aff wi a Conservative MP, cancellin oot the twa votes. He wis criticised fur his absence bi the SNP.

In 2014, Sarwar wis criticised fur walin tae pit his son tae Hutchesons' Grammar Scuil, a independent scuil an the selsame schuil that he hissel got his scuilin at, raither nor a state schuil. MSP John Wilson statit: "Anas Sarwar ance again shaws the hypocrisy o the Labour Pairty – speakin o social justice and stickin up for public services while sendin his ain wean tae a private scuil."

Frae the 5 November 2014 til the 8 Mey 2015, Sarwar wis Labour's Shadae Meenister fur International Development. In Januar 2015, he wis awairdit the Spirit of Britain awaird at that yeir's British Muslim Awards. At the 2015 general election, he lost his Glesga Central seat tae Alison Thewliss o the Scots National Pairty (SNP).

Deputy Leader o the Scots Labour Pairty: 2011–2014

Margaret Curran, Sarwar, Johann Lamont an Gordon Brown at the launch o United with Labour

In December 2011, Sarwar wis eleckit Deputy Leader o the Scots Labour Pairty gettin 51.10% o the vote. In 2012, he wis appyntit tae co-ordinate Scots Labour's 2014 Scots independence referendum campaign. The campaign, alang wi Better Together, wis ultimately successfu, wi Scotland votin 55% tae 45% tae bide in the Unitit Kinrick. Houaniver, Scots Labour wis near pit oot in a SNP laundslide victory at the 2015 general election. Follaein the demittin o Johann Lamont on the 25 October 2014, Sarwar becam actin leader til a new leader wis eleckit. On the 30 October, he pat forrit his demission as deputy leader at a Labour Pairty dinner in Glesga. In November 2020, Sarwar wis makit Scots Labour Spokesbody fur the Constitution.

Early tenure as Member of the Scottish Parliament: 2016–2021

Offeicial pairlamentary portrait, 2016

Sarwar wis eleckit as a addietional memmer in the 2016 Scots Pairlament election fur the Glesga region. In 2016, he wis makit Scots Labour Spokesbody fur Health and Sport. In September 2017, he annunced his candidacy fur the Scots Labour leadership follaein the demission o Kezia Dugdale. He lost tae his opponent, Richard Leonard. On the 4 October 2018, he wis sacked frae his posietion as Health and Sport Spokesperson, statin he haed ainly lairnt o the sackin on Twitter.

In the 2017 leadership election, Rutherglen coonciller Davie McLachlan wis alleged tae hae said "Scotland wadna vote for a broun Muslim Paki". In Apryle 2019, Sarwar's case agin McLachlan wis due tae be heard bi the National Constitutional Committee but wis drappit on a technicality, for Sarwar haednae gien his case athin a nairae timescale that haed been gien oot at short notice. Richard Leonard acknawledged the process wis flawed an the committee wid need tae be reformt tae jouk seemlar incidents.

In November 2019, Sarwar wis gien access tae a leaked report frae 2015 that haed consiedert infection controls at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital tae be at "high risk". 10-year-auld patient Milly Main deet in the hospital in 2017 frae a watter infection, while she wis thare tae win abuin her leukaemia. Sarwar raised the leaked report's findins in a Scots Pairlament debate whaur he wis critical o NHS Greater Glesga and Clyde fur nae closin certain hospital wairds despite the report's findins. As Main wis constituent o his, he requestit on behauf o Main's mitther a repone frae First Mienister Nicola Sturgeon.

Director o Sarwar Foundation: 2019–present

In Mairch 2019, Sarwar becam Director o the Sarwar Foundation (umwhilie, UCare Foundation), a chairity that operates in Pakistan.

Heidship o the Scots Labour Pairty: 2021–the noo

Efter the demission o Richard Leonard in 2021, Sarwar wis eleckit as Leader o the Scots Labour Pairty, takin 57.56% o the vote. Sarwar an some in the media jaloused this makit him the first ethnic minority body tae be the heid o a major UK political pairty, awtho The Spectator pyntit tae political leaders o Jewish strynd siclike as Benjamin Disraeli, Michael Howard an Ed Miliband while acknawledgin he wis the first Muslim an body o Aisian strynd.

Sarwar wis waled tae staund agin Nicola Sturgeon in Glesga Soothside at the 2021 Scots Pairlament election.

Ideology

Descrieved as bein on the political richt o the Labour Pairty, Sarwar identifies as a Brownite an haes been critical o baith Tony Blair an Jeremy Corbyn. He says umwhile Prime Mienister Gordon Brown is ane o his political heroes. Sarwar haes been gey critical o the Iraq War, cawin it "the warst furrin policy decision in my lifetime".

Sarwar wis agin leavin the European Union an threapit the UK needit tae bide in the single mercat for tae conter the Conservatives' austerity policies.

Despite haein criticised Corbyn in the bygane, Sarwar threapit that his economic plans wid be "faur mair progressive and radicaler" nor thae policies o Corbyn an John McDonnell.

Personal life

Sarwar is mairit on Furheen, that wirks as an NHS dentist, an thay hae three bairns. He is a Muslim. He awns a quarter share o his faimily's cash an cairy halesale business; his share wis valued in 2016 as wirth atween £2.7 million an £4.8 million. In September 2017, Sarwar transferrt his shareholding tae a discretionary trust fur the benefit of his three bairns, sae's he cidna personally access the assets or dividends.