Scottish Labour at a crossroads again as Sarwar jumps ship
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has resigned from his post to join the UK government as a minister under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. His departure follows a disappointing election result and has sparked controversy regarding his past political maneuvers and previous pledges against accepting a peerage.
Why it matters
The resignation creates a leadership vacuum in Scottish Labour and raises questions about the party's future strategy and internal stability following a significant electoral defeat.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has stood down to become a minister in Andy Burnham's government
Scotland political editor Published 34 minutes ago Anas Sarwar has never made a secret of his desire to hold high office.
It's only a matter of weeks since he offered himself to Scottish voters as a candidate to replace John Swinney as first minister.
That went spectacularly wrong. The SNP held power for a fifth consecutive term and Labour recorded their worst Holyrood result since devolution.
While the performance of the UK government under Sir Keir Starmer gets much of the blame, there is now a live debate in the party about Sarwar's strategy.
Questions are also being asked of Scottish Labour's campaign co-directors Jackie Baillie and Douglas Alexander.
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