WHEN Scottish Labour named Anas Sarwar their new leader in February 2021, the Glasgow Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) set a political precedent by becoming the first Muslim and person of colour to head a major political party in the UK. It was only in March 2023 that Humza Yousaf became First Minister of Scotland for the ruling Scottish National Party following Nicola Sturgeon stepping down. Rishi Sunak became prime minister in October 2022.
Labour Party strategists believe that a significant corner has been turned – following La bour’s dramatic by-election victory over the SNP in Rutherglen and Hamilton West in October 2023 with a 20 per cent swing. Some pollsters believe Labour hold about 35 per cent of the vote in Scotland and are capable of beating the SNP in both Westminster and Holyrood elections. Sarwar, who has been at the forefront of Scottish politics for a decade, was uncharacteristically bullish in his speech at Labour’s annual conference, delivered soon after the election results. “Now no SNP MP can sit safely, taking their communities for granted as so many have,” he said, adding: “Labour can now beat the SNP across Scotland.
” He can indeed relish this victory, Scottish Labour’s first parliamentary by-election in over 12 years, as the party was 32 points behind the SNP in the polls when he became leader around three years ago. Sarwar, who turns 41 in March, was first elected as an MP in 2010 from Glasgow Central, a seat represented by his father Mohammed, the UK’s first Muslim MP, since 1997. In 2016 he was elected to the Scottish Parliament as MSP for Glasgow, and a year later he launched his first bid at party leadership, which was unsuccessful, though. Before venturing into politics, Sarwar worked as a dentist in the NHS in Paisley for five years and has spoken about how his father’s experiences had initially “put him off” being in politics. “[My father] faced a lot of prejudice and abuse, a lot of negativity and controversy,” he told our sister publication Eastern Eye, revealing the extent of hate crime directed at him, as a second-generation Pakistani-Scot, saying he and his family experienced Islamophobia on a “daily basis”, receiving death threats and hate mail. He set up a cross-party group on tackling Islamophobia at the Scottish Parliament in 2018. Sarwar takes particular interest in encouraging Muslims to engage in the “wider political framework” to discuss issues that can show others they have the “same hopes and aspirations as anybody else in our communities”.
“[Muslims] have the same concern about their kids getting a quality education, a loved one getting a good treatment in NHS or a social care place. How we curb Islamophobia is making people recognise, understand and celebrate difference,” he said. He is married to Furheen, an NHS dentist, and they have three children. His brothers, Athif and Asim, manage the wholesale business – United Wholesale (Scotland), established by their father, who is now an active politician in his native Pakistan.
