Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar made a lord and UK minister

WorldPolitics
23 Jul 2026 • 6:01 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar made a lord and UK minister

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been made a lord and minister in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Downing Street has said.

Lord Anas, who has been Scottish Labour leader since 2021, was among the first to call for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down in February.

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney hit out at the “hypocrisy” of the expected appointment earlier on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham (Toby Melville/PA) (PA Wire)

Speaking to the Press Association, the First Minister said: “I think what it demonstrates is an appalling level of judgment by Anas Sarwar.

“He said before the (Holyrood) election he had absolutely no interest in going to the House of Lords, he only wanted to be first minister of Scotland.

“Then, after the election, Anas Sarwar has accepted a place in the House of Lords – a body, by the way, he wants to abolish.

“That is an incredible level of hypocrisy and it just illustrates what I think the Prime Minister is trying to address, which is the fact that politicians say one thing one minute and then do another thing the next minute, when it suits them.

“That, I thought, was what Andy Burnham was trying to address and to solve.

“But instead, Andy Burnham has exacerbated that sentiment within our society.”

Downing Street announced 47 new ministerial appointment late on Wednesday night, along with 17 re-appointments.

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