He was one of the first to call for Sir Keir Starmer to go... now Anas Sarwar jumps ship for role in Andy Burnham's new Government

By MICHAEL BLACKLEY, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL POLITICAL EDITOR and TOM GORDON, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 21:58, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 21:58, 21 July 2026 Anas Sarwar is to quit as Scottish Labour leader to take up a job in Andy Burnham’s new government – after having led calls for Sir Keir Starmer to resign. He is to be given a peerage and take up a role as a minister in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.  His decision to quit as an MSP to join Mr Burnham’s government comes after he became the first major Labour figure to demand Sir Keir’s resignation earlier this year – but denied he was part of a coup. Despite initially refusing to resign following Scottish Labour’s recent Holyrood election humbling – when it slumped to its worst result since devolution – Mr Sarwar has now decided to bring his reign to an end after nearly five-and-a-half years. The move is likely to trigger a leadership contest among the party’s MSPs. Finance spokesman Michael Marra and Paul Sweeney, convener of the public petitions committee and an ally of Mr Burnham’s, are seen as the likeliest contenders. Mr Sarwar’s resignation as MSP for Glasgow will also mean a return to Holyrood for his former leadership rival Monica Lennon, who is next on the Glasgow regional list and may even put herself forward herself for any leadership contest. Scottish Labour sources were unable to confirm his appointment until it is announced by Downing Street. A Number 10 source said that an ‘unrelated hold up’ with other junior ministerial roles was delaying the announcement. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar with Andy Burnham Mr Sarwar was seen at Mr Burnham’s first speech as Labour leader last Friday and has lavished praise on him since he became Prime Minister. During the Holyrood election campaign, Mr Sarwar had denied speculation he could take up a seat in the House of Lords and insisted he wanted to be First Minister. Last month, he praised the work Mr Burnham has done as Manchester Mayor after he confirmed his intention to stand to replace Sir Keir. At the time, he also insisted he intended to fight on as Scottish Labour leader for the full parliamentary term. Mr Sarwar said: ‘Andy is someone that I’ve always had a very good relationship with. ‘I have spoken a lot about what Andy has built in Greater Manchester and how we need to replicate some of that here in Scotland. ‘If he emerges as the leader of the Labour Party, if he emerges as our next Prime Minister, I hope that same level of hope, heart and energy that he’s demonstrated in Greater Manchester, as he did in the Makerfield by-election, is something he can reflect across the country.’ In May’s Scottish election, Labour slumped from 21 seats to 17 and fell well short of challenging the SNP amid fury at Sir Keir’s refusal to stand aside despite anger at his government on the doorsteps. Pressed on whether he planned to serve as Scottish Labour leader for the five-year Holyrood term, Mr Sarwar said: ‘That is my intention. ‘I’m hungry for the fight ahead and I want to play my full part in making sure this country never ends up in the hands of Nigel Farage and Reform.’ SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said: ‘This is a terrible look for Andy Burnham who waxed lyrical about a new politics and devolving power - he’s just pulled the most undemocratic trick in the Westminster book. ‘Anas Sarwar led Scottish Labour to their worst ever election defeat, but as is always the case with the Labour Party, there’s always a cushty number in the House of Lords. ‘What a signal to send after their democratic defeat - this is the Labour Party literally lording it over the people of Scotland. ‘This morning Andy Burnham denied Scottish democracy in a phone call with Scotland’s First Minister, tonight he appoints a failed Scottish Labour leader to the Lords. This new Labour Government has deeply damaged its democratic credibility tonight. ‘Andy Burnham raised the question of where power lies on these islands - it’s clear the Labour Party are still stubbornly determined to keep it firmly in the grip of a detached and undemocratic Westminster establishment.’ Scottish Labour is currently carrying out a summer review following the election and some in the party, including Ms Lennon, have called for it to consider splitting from the UK party. Last month, Mr Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, told the Mail that ‘big changes’ are required following the election reversal. He said: ‘There is no vacancy to be filled and I am supportive of Anas seeing us through this period as he has committed to doing. ‘We need to think very hard about what happens next. It is right that we reflect on the campaign and the approach taken but these are long term challenges. ‘We have gone backwards at every Scottish Parliament election since 1999. If we just do the same things again then we will get the same answer from the electorate again. ‘I will be working with colleagues to ensure we make the big changes required.’ Mr Burnham came under fire yesterday for reappointing Douglas Alexander as Scottish Secretary despite him masterminding Scottish Labour’s worst ever Holyrood election. Besides co-chairing a disastrous campaign, Mr Alexander was caught up in the row about disgraced peer Lord Mandelson. After the election, toe-curling messages emerged showing Mr Alexander hailed Mandelson as the ‘The Comeback Kid’ when he became US Ambassador in 2024. ‘Good news for you, for the Government and for the country,’ the Lothian East MP gushed. An ex-Labour MSP said Mr Alexander being left in post would ‘not go down well’ with MPs, saying: ‘He might believe that he’s good at winning elections, but nobody else does. Unloved and untalented - it’s quite a combination.’ But a current Labour MSP said they were glad ‘someone seasoned who understands how things work will be arguing for us around the cabinet table’.