Sarwar joins House of Lords despite previous calls for abolition
Former Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been formally introduced to the House of Lords as Lord Sarwar, taking his seat despite having called in 2022 for the chamber to be abolished. The move has drawn criticism, including from Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who accused him of hypocrisy after Sarwar previously said he had no interest in going to the Lords and only wanted to be First Minister. In his maiden speech, Sarwar addressed the apparent contradiction directly, saying he had been questioning the "principle, not the purpose or the people" of the Lords and still backs a more democratic, representative upper chamber.
Sarwar, 43, wore ceremonial robes and swore allegiance to the King, supported by Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke and Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, before thanking his family and the "people of Glasgow" and pledging to help Andy Burnham succeed as Prime Minister. He stepped down as Scottish Labour leader in July to become a junior UK trade minister, a decision that angered some activists who saw it as a demotion being framed as a promotion, and he was made a peer shortly after Burnham entered No 10 following Sir Keir Starmer's departure. Sarwar's five-year Scottish Labour leadership ended with the party reduced to 17 Holyrood seats in May, and his successor is due to be announced on 19 September, with Joe Fagan and Michael Marra contesting the role.
- Anas Sarwar takes House of Lords seat despite once demanding its abolition
- Swinney accuses him of hypocrisy; Sarwar defends "questioning the principle" stance
- Scottish Labour to name his successor on 19 September
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Anas Sarwar led Scottish Labour for five years before stepping down in July, later taking a junior role as a UK trade minister. In 2022 he said the House of Lords should be abolished and that he had no interest in sitting there, making his recent introduction as a peer, Lord Sarwar, a notable reversal that critics, including First Minister John Swinney, have called hypocritical.
The House of Lords is the unelected upper chamber of the UK Parliament, where members are appointed rather than voted in. Its role and legitimacy have long been debated, with critics arguing it should be reformed or scrapped in favour of a more democratic body, while supporters see it as a useful check on government drawing on experienced figures.
Sarwar's move comes at a moment of change for both Scottish Labour, whose new leader is due to be chosen this month after the party's poor showing in May's Holyrood elections, and UK Labour, following Andy Burnham's rise to Prime Minister after Sir Keir Starmer's departure. The episode has drawn attention partly because it touches on wider questions about consistency between politicians' past statements and their later actions.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Anas Sarwar takes his seat in House of Lords… despite having called for it to be abolished!”.