Sarwar hits out at Westminster distractions amid Labour turmoil before May elections |
As Anas Sarwar advises the Prime Minister to stick to the day job, Brian Taylor examines the big challenges facing Scottish Labour in the run-up to May’s Holyrood elections
Politically, Anas Sarwar – he who would be First Minister hereafter – has had a few obstacles to overcome.
Firstly, he had to emerge from the very considerable shadow cast by his powerful father, Labour MP Mohammed Sarwar.
Not, you understand, paternal obstruction. Simply that offspring must prove their own worth. Think Hilary Benn, son of Tony, who declared himself to be “a Benn but not a Bennite.”
Then the ambitious and able Anas sought leadership. His pitch was broad, partly because he is scarcely renowned for ideology. I doubt he yearns for the ultimate victory of Socialism.
But he was thwarted, defeated in the 2017 contest to lead Scottish Labour by Richard Leonard, on the Corbynite Left of the party.
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Mr Leonard subsequently sacked Mr Sarwar from the Holyrood front bench, along with Jackie Baillie. I recall breaking that story; the peremptory dismissal, the factional in-fighting.
Yet Anas Sarwar remained calm. His chirpy demeanour seldom left him. In public, at least.
And he achieved his interim objective. He now leads the Scottish Labour Party, with Jackie Baillie as his decidedly proficient deputy.
But Mr Sarwar’s sangfroid deserted him this week. He counselled the........