Who is...Anas Sarwar?

This week’s election could be a turning point in the Scottish Labour leader’s political ascendency. Although Anas Sarwar isn’t running for a seat in the general election, he has played a key role in campaigning alongside Keir Starmer and Labour’s other senior Westminster-based figures. In 2019, Labour was left with just one Scottish MP; thanks to a by-election it now has two, but the polls suggest it could overtake the SNP to become the largest party in Scotland once again. That will help propel Sarwar closer to the top job in Holyrood when Scottish parliament elections are held in 2026. But even this is likely to be a staging post for what is said to be his ultimate goal. Some figures within Labour talk about Sarwar as a viable successor to Starmer, one whose charisma and rhetorical skills are perhaps more obvious. Like the well-respected former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, he would first have to become Scotland’s First Minister. Unlike Davidson, Sarwar stands a decent chance.