Anas Sarwar

Anas Sarwar
Official portrait, 2017
Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Assumed office
27 February 2021
DeputyJackie Baillie
UK party leaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byRichard Leonard
Acting
24 October 2014 – 13 December 2014
UK party leaderEd Miliband
Preceded byJohann Lamont
Succeeded byJim Murphy
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
In office
17 December 2011 – 13 December 2014
LeaderJohann Lamont
Preceded byJohann Lamont
Succeeded byKezia Dugdale
Shadow Minister for International Development
In office
5 November 2014 – 8 May 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byAlison McGovern
Succeeded byMike Kane
Parliamentary offices
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Member of Parliament
for Glasgow Central
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byMohammad Sarwar
Succeeded byAlison Thewliss
Scottish Labour portfolios
2016–2018Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport
2020–2021Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution
Personal details
Born (1983-03-14) 14 March 1983 (age 41)
Glasgow, Scotland
Political partyScottish Labour & Co-operative
Spouse
Furheen Ashrif
(m. 2006)
Children3
RelativesMohammad Sarwar (father)
EducationHutchesons' Grammar School
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
Signature
Websiteanassarwar.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Anas Sarwar (born 14 March 1983) is a Scottish Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2016, having been Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Central from 2010 to 2015.

Born in Glasgow to Pakistani Muslim parents, Sarwar was privately educated at the independent Hutchesons' Grammar School and studied general dentistry at the University of Glasgow. He worked in Paisley as a dentist until being elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Central at the 2010 general election when he succeeded his retiring father, Chaudhry Sarwar. During his time in the House of Commons, he served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2011 to 2014.

Sarwar lost his seat to the Scottish National Party (SNP) at the 2015 general election. He was elected at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election on the Glasgow regional list. Having been defeated in the 2017 Scottish Labour leadership election by Richard Leonard, he was elected as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in the 2021 leadership election. Sarwar led Scottish Labour into the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, which saw Scottish Labour remain in opposition with two fewer Labour MSPs than at the previous election. He was defeated by incumbent First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow Southside but was returned on the Glasgow regional list.