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Anas Sarwar wins Scottish Labour leadership election

Sarwar wins snap election triggered by surprise resignation of Richard Leonard six weeks ago
Anas Sarwar has won the Scottish Labour leadership contest after a snap election triggered by the surprise resignation of Richard Leonard six weeks ago.
Sarwar, a former deputy leader of Scottish Labour backed by a majority of the party’s parliamentarians, defeated the other candidate Monica Lennon, a less experienced MSP backed on the party’s left, winning 57.6% of the vote.
Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, is the first minority ethnic leader of a major political party in the UK.
He said the party under his leadership would “focus on what unites our country – not what divides it”.
In his acceptance speech, he also promised to be “brutally honest” with the people of Scotland.
He said: “You haven’t had the Scottish Labour party you deserve – with rising injustice, inequality and division, I’m sorry we haven’t been good enough.
“I want to say directly to the people of Scotland, I know Labour has a lot of work to do to win back your trust. Because if we’re brutally honest, you haven’t had the Scottish Labour party you deserve.”
He added: “Today we have elected the first ever ethnic minority leader of a political party in the UK.
“That doesn’t say something about me. That says something great about Scotland and its people. But the fight for equality is far from over.
“And I’ll work with all our diverse communities in Scotland to rebuild the country we love.”
The UK Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said: “Huge congratulations to Anas on his election as leader of the Scottish Labour party. I look forward to working with him to secure our economy, protect our NHS and rebuild our country.
“We will fight the Scottish parliamentary elections by making the case for a socially just Scotland in a modern United Kingdom. Under his leadership, Scottish Labour will focus on what unites us – not what divides us.
“I know Anas will do the hard work that is necessary to win back the trust of the Scottish people and build for the future as we emerge from this pandemic.”
Humza Yousaf, the SNP justice secretary and Scotland’s first Muslim cabinet minister, tweeted:
https://twitter.com/HumzaYousaf/status/1365622311701856257
Leonard tweeted: “Congratulations to @AnasSarwar on his victory. He has a clear mandate from the membership to lead the SLP. We must all get behind him. Solidarity.”
Sarwar, 37, faces an uphill battle to save Labour from what the polls suggest could be another humiliating Holyrood election in May.
After losing every Scottish and UK election since 2007 to the SNP, including losing all its MEPs in the 2016 European elections, Labour has since gone through seven Scottish leaders. Sarwar will be its eighth.
Leonard had been one of the longest serving since devolution but resigned suddenly after deciding he was unable to lead the party successfully into another election.
The polls put Labour third behind the Scottish National party, which is on course for a comfortable victory and possibly a majority of seats in Holyrood, and the Scottish Conservatives.
The latest poll by Ipsos Mori, produced for STV last week, put Labour on 15% in the constituency vote, with the SNP on 52% and the Tories on 23%.
Although Sarwar has been an MP and MSP for 10 of the last 11 years, and is the son of the UK’s first Muslim MP Mohammad Sarwar, the survey found a majority of voters were ambivalent about him.
It showed 44% of all those polled had no opinion about whether he or Lennon would be the best Scottish Labour leader, while 28% thought he would be and 25% preferred Lennon. AmongLabour voters, 40% thought he would be best and 35% opted for Lennon.
Lennon, a former council planning officer, won plaudits and international recognition last year after steering a private members bill through Holyrood that made Scotland the first country in the world to provide free period products.
That led Vogue magazine to make her one of 12 women who changed the world in 2020, alongside Kamala Harris, the US vice-president, and Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand.
source: Severin Carrell
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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