Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar set to become a minister in Burnham's government

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar set to become a minister in Burnham's governmentImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Anas Sarwar had called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign in February ByChris Mason Political editorPublished21 July 2026, 20:02 BSTUpdated 6 minutes agoScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is set to stand down to become a minister in Andy Burnham's government. Official confirmation is expected in the coming hours. It would mean Sarwar leaving the Scottish Parliament and his leader role, then taking up a seat in the House of Lords.

Sarwar publicly called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign in February, provoking a political near death experience for the then prime minister. It is thought Sarwar - who was at the event last Friday in London when Andy Burnham became the new Labour Party leader - will be made a business minister. Scottish Labour won just 17 seats out of 129 in the Scottish Parliament elections in May.

The Details

At the time Sarwar promised to stay on as the leader of the party in Scotland but his appointment as a minister at Westminster is expected to create a leadership vacancy. There wouldn't, though, be a by-election for his Holyrood seat as he was elected via the regional list. As of last year, new rules prevent politicians from sitting at both Westminster and Holyrood at the same time.

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