ANAS Sarwar has insisted that he will stay on as Scottish Labour leader after Keir Starmer’s resignation.
The Prime Minister announced he will be standing down this morning, pledging an “orderly handover of power” in an emotional statement outside Number 10.
His potential successor, former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, confirmed he would stand for the Labour leadership shortly after – with his chances of winning the premiership unopposed boosted significantly after former health secretary Wes Streeting said he would back Burnham in the upcoming contest.
Sarwar – who called for the Prime Minister to step down back in February this year – stopped short of giving Burnham his outright endorsement but did praise the new Makerfield MP’s work in Manchester.
“I think in the fullness of the coming days we'll see which candidates emerge. It's clear that, Andy Burnham has emerged as one of those candidates,” he told journalists in Glasgow on Monday.
“I think my role, to be honest, is to make sure whoever puts themselves forward to be leader of the Labour Party, to be the next Prime Minister, that I'm also challenging them on what they mean by change, what meaningful outcomes they'll deliver for people here in Scotland and across the UK.”
He then added on the topic of Burnham: “Look, we're in the great city of Glasgow, and I've said for many years that if Glasgow and the west of Scotland could replicate much of what's happened in Greater Manchester, we would be in a much, much better place.
“So, there are good things that I think we can replicate here, in Glasgow and broader Scotland, but ultimately we'll have to wait and see which names emerge.”
The Scottish Labour leader was also asked whether he is considering his own position after he led his party into their worst ever Holyrood election result last month – returning just 17 MSPs.
Asked specifically whether he will serve for the remainder of the parliamentary term, Sarwar responded: “Look, that is my intention. I'm hungry for the fight ahead, and I want to play my full part in making sure this country never ends up in the hands of Nigel Farage and Reform UK.”
Sarwar spoke warmly of the former Manchester mayor, saying that “Andy is someone that I’ve always had a very good relationship with”.
He added: “Many people will have seen over recent years, I have spoken a lot about what Andy has built in Greater Manchester and how we need to replicate some of that here in Scotland.
“If he emerges as the leader of the Labour Party, if he emerges as our next prime minister, I hope that same level of hope, heart and energy that he’s demonstrated in Greater Manchester, as he did in the Makerfield by-election, is something he can reflect across the country.”
A senior Labour source confirmed Starmer sent Sarwar a text on Monday morning informing him of his decision to resign.
