Anas Sarwar has insisted he will "absolutely" stay on as Scottish Labour leader, despite his party recording their worst ever result at a Scottish Parliament election. Labour lost four seats last week, returning just 17 of the 129 seats available. Sarwar refused to be drawn on how long he would continue as leader and did not commit to leading his party into the next election in five years' time.
This is incredibly serious, deeply concerning, a matter of national security rightly being investigated by the police. And that needs to be a thorough investigation so we can get to the bottom of it. It's deeply concerning right across the political spectrum. I think the scale of international interference now in our broader politics is really, real.
Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour, said the prime minister's policy failures and missteps had left voters angry, frustrated and impatient, leaving his party clear underdogs before May's election. Asked during a speech in Edinburgh whether he wanted Starmer to campaign in Scotland, Sarwar said: I would say the best thing that Keir Starmer and the UK Labour government can do is be behind their doors and in their departments getting things right and changing our outcomes.
While this has obviously been a very difficult decision - and it is the greatest honour of my life to represent Glasgow - I do not wish for a personal friendship to become a distraction. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve, and I remain committed to returning a Scottish Labour government next year.
Foysol Choudhury, who has served as an MSP for Lothian since 2021, will sit as an independent while the party carries out an investigation. A Labour spokesperson said the party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken, they added. It is understood that Choudhury was administratively suspended after the allegation.
