Anas Sarwar Labour Party
Regional list candidate · Glasgow region · list position 1
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021 and the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party. A Glasgow-born dentist by training, Sarwar served as MP for Glasgow Central (2010-2015) before becoming an MSP for the Glasgow region in 2016. He led Scottish Labour to its strongest Westminster result in a decade at the 2024 general election.
Policy Positions
Scotland's Future
Oppose independence. Focus on delivery within the UK and Scotland's strengths in the UK growth sectors. Frame the election as a choice between delivery and SNP-led constitutional distraction.
NHS & Health
End the 8am GP rush, bring back the family doctor, cut waiting times with funding following the patient, introduce an NHS app and AI scanners, and deliver £15/hr for social care workers.
Housing
Deliver 125,000 new homes by 2031 across all tenures. Build 20,000 mid-market rent homes to save tenants an average of £2,700 a year off market rents. Establish a Housing Bank and a private-rented-sector strategy (no new rent controls).
Climate & Transport
Achieve net zero by 2045 ambitions. Double home retrofits, back GB Energy and the Scottish National Investment Bank, end the block on clean nuclear energy, and deliver a fair energy transition for oil and gas workers.
Tax & Public Spending
Commit to no income tax rate rises for five years, with the ambition to lower taxes as the economy grows.
Economy & Jobs
Sustained economic growth as the route to improving living standards. Establish a Scottish Board of Trade, partner with GB Energy and the UK National Wealth Fund, and cut a third of quangos to end government waste.
Education & Childcare
Breakfast clubs in every primary school, 2,000 Education Recovery teachers and 1,500 more classroom assistants, ban mobile phones in classrooms, and top up tax-free childcare to £3,000 per child.
Social Issues
Recommit the NHS to single-sex wards on the basis of biological sex. Deliver a four-nation conversion practices ban to protect LGBT+ people. Tackle long waits for gynaecological procedures as part of a women's health plan.
Track Record
› Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021
› First Muslim and person of colour to lead a major UK political party
› Former MP for Glasgow Central (2010-2015)
› Deputy Leader of Scottish Labour (2011-2014)
› Qualified dentist; son of Mohammad Sarwar, the UK's first Muslim MP