ANAS Sarwar could barely hide his delight as he was initiated into the heart of the Westminster establishment this morning.
The former Scottish Labour leader was evidently beaming as he strolled into the House of Lords to be sworn in as Baron Sarwar.
While he will not have an official territorial designation – like Lord Jack of Courance or Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links – he will hereafter be known as Lord Sarwar.
Quite the coup for a man who led his party to a historic electoral defeat on May 6, and also has repeatedly decried the House of Lords as undemocratic.
Let’s go back to 2022, when Sarwar told the Fabian Society: "The House of Lords, in its current form, as an institution has no place in 21st century politics. It is unacceptable, and has been for far too long, to have unelected representatives wielding such power. The House of Lords must be abolished."
On May 5, just days before voters went to the polls to roundly reject Scottish Labour’s pitch, Sarwar again ruled out ever taking a seat in the House of Lords.
He admitted he wouldn’t be an MSP for the whole of his life but his “only commitment” was to “serving my constituents in Glasgow and serving the great people of this country if I get the honour of being First Minister”.
Reform UK’s Scotland leader Malcolm Offord also pressed Sarwar on the issue during an STV debate, asking him to confirm “that when you come third and you resign from the Labour Party, you won't take a peerage in the House of Lords as a consolation”.
Sarwar responded: “I'm standing to be First Minister in this country. I'm standing to lead my great country, a country that you question my loyalty to.”
Well, we all know how Sarwar’s quest to grasp the keys to Bute House went – badly.
So terrible that he is now heading off with his tail between his legs for a cushty job for life where he won’t have to face the great people of Glasgow at the ballot box ever again.
Instead he will become a Trade Minister in Andy Burnham’s Government, quite the reward for stabbing Keir Starmer in the back all those months ago.
For someone who has continued to decry the House of Lords – he said in August it should still be abolished – it is quite astonishing that Sarwar can continue to maintain a straight face while spouting such hypocrisy.
While Sarwar is now set for life, he leaves behind a party struggling for its soul. Rather than help Scottish Labour reflect on their crushing defeat, Sarwar is content to slam the exit button and leave them to fight it out amongst themselves.
It’s hard to imagine a better example of the problems with Scottish Labour, they say one thing and then do another. It is why they will continue to fade into obscurity in the Scottish Parliament and will likely face a drubbing at the next Holyrood election.
Scottish Labour’s new leader – a tantalising choice for members between Michael Marra and Joe Fagan – will have to decide whether they truly want to seek accountability or have any introspection as to why voters are deserting them in droves.
Its former leader has already made his choice, swapping the fight for his party’s future in Holyrood for an ermine cloak and a ministerial box.
