Anas Sarwar, the former leader of Scottish Labour, has taken his seat in the House of Lords, adopting the traditional scarlet robes for the ceremony. The move comes despite Sarwar's previous calls for the abolition of the upper chamber. He was supported during the ceremony by Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke and Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, both former Scottish Labour MPs.
During his maiden speech in a later debate, Lord Sarwar expressed gratitude to his family and the people of Glasgow. He stated that he had contributed to the Labour Party's success in the recent general election and pledged his support for Andy Burnham's premiership. Sarwar also spoke of a broader struggle for the nation's identity, emphasizing unity and hope over division and hate.
He acknowledged successes during the first two years of the Labour government but noted that the party had not fully met voter expectations. He also expressed continued disappointment regarding the recent Scottish election results. Sarwar clarified his prior statements about abolishing the House of Lords, explaining that he was questioning the principle of the institution rather than its purpose or its members. He reiterated his support for a more democratic and representative upper chamber.
Sarwar, 43, faced criticism after stepping down as leader of Scottish Labour in July to accept a junior role as trade minister in the UK Government. Some Labour activists expressed concern that this move sent a message that the trade minister position was a promotion from leading the party in Scotland. Duncan Hothersall, editor of the Labour Hame website, described the optics as "terrible, terrible." Questions have also been raised about when Sarwar was promised a role by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Sarwar was among the Labour politicians who called for Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as prime minister. Following Starmer's departure, Sarwar was appointed as a peer shortly after Andy Burnham took office.
Lord Sarwar led Scottish Labour from 2021, a period marked by the party's decline to 17 seats in Holyrood in May. First Minister of Scotland John Swinney had previously accused Sarwar of "hypocrisy" and "appalling judgment" for accepting the peerage, noting Sarwar's prior statements about not being interested in the House of Lords and his desire to become First Minister of Scotland. The results for the successor to Lord Sarwar as Scottish Labour leader are expected on September 19, with Joe Fagan and Michael Marra as the remaining candidates.