Anas Sarwar introduced to House of Lords as Baron of Maxwell Park
The former Scottish Labour leader will now be known as Baron Sarwar of Maxwell Park in the City of Glasgow.
Anas Sarwar has been officially introduced to the House of Lords.
The former Scottish Labour leader will now be known as Baron Sarwar of Maxwell Park in the City of Glasgow.
He resigned as Scottish Labour Leader last month after being made a UK Government minister and given a peerage by Andy Burnham.
The Glaswegian had repeatedly said he would not take up a place in the House of Lords, only to do so as soon as Mr Burnham became Prime Minister.
Lord Sarwar said in the House of Lords on Thursday morning: “I Anas Lord Sarwar, do swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”
The former Scottish Labour for more than five years wore the traditional scarlet robes for the ceremony in the upper chamber.
He was supported by two former Scottish Labour MPs and ex-UK Cabinet ministers, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke and Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, as he swore allegiance to the King on Thursday.
The 43-year-old was greeted with a handshake from the Leader of the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon, as he left the chamber.
Former Scottish Labour first minister Jack McConnell was in the chamber to watch.
Lord Sarwar led Scottish Labour between 2021 and 2026.
He lost two Holyrood elections in that time, with the party suffering its worst ever result of 17 seats - just three of which were constituencies - in May.
He was particularly criticised for claiming right to the end that he could become first minister, and for focussing on constituencies rather than list votes.
Some Labour figures have suggested that a stronger focus on the regional list towards the end of the campaign could have won Labour some extra seats, and put the party in outright second place ahead of Reform UK.
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Lord Sarwar did have some success, though. He oversaw Scottish Labour’s successful 2024 general election, where it jumped from one seat five years earlier to 37.
After losing May’s Holyrood election, Lord Sarwar had pledged to remain as leader to keep the Scottish Labour Party together.
But just two months after the defeat, he stood down to become a junior minister in the Department for Business and Trade.
The move sparked outrage among Scottish Labour members.
Lord Sarwar was among the first Labour politicians to demand Sir Keir Starmer resign as Prime Minister in February.
Before the general election he had regularly appeared alongside Sir Keir at press events and had been very supportive of his leadership.
When he was made a trade minister, Lord Sarwar said he was “delighted and honoured”.
“Throughout my life, I have only ever been motivated by public service,” he said. “The opportunity to serve our country is all I have ever asked.
“That’s why this is an opportunity I humbly accept.”
SNP First Minister John Swinney previously accused Lord Sarwar of “hypocrisy” and an “appalling level of judgment” for taking the peerage.
“He said before the (Holyrood) election he had absolutely no interest in going to the House of Lords, he only wanted to be first minister of Scotland.
“Then, after the election, Anas Sarwar has accepted a place in the House of Lords – a body, by the way, he wants to abolish.”
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