Anas Sarwar: ‘I will rebuild the Labor Party in Scotland’ | Work



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Anas Sarwar, a 37-year-old former dentist and member of the Scottish Parliament, prepares his post today to become the next Labor leader in Scotland, as he says the cause of equality, not independence, should be high on the agenda politics.

Sarwar was lost in the leadership race four years ago to Richard Leonard, who resigned last week after failing to challenge the SNP as the dominant force in Scottish politics.

Write online in the Observer, the son of former Glasgow Labor MP Mohammad Sarwar and an early favorite says his task is to “rebuild” Labor north of the border after recent electoral humiliations. He finished fifth in the 2019 European elections and fourth in the general elections that year in terms of the number of seats won.

Her fellow MSP Monica Lennon, a Labor health spokeswoman in Holyrood, is seen as another possible candidate. With campaigns for the May elections in Holyrood starting in March, Labor sources say they hope to have a new leader by the end of February.

Sarwar says that internal disputes must be replaced by a sense of united purpose. “In recent years, I have gained a new perspective on our politics and realized that the things we discuss mean little to people’s lives. We spend too much time highlighting our differences, instead of focusing on what brings us together. “

It says that life cannot be the same after Covid-19, and that the focus should be on promoting equality in society rather than the cause of pulling Scotland out of the union.

“I firmly believe that we cannot return to society as it was before the pandemic: unsafe work, empty public services, an underfunded health service and the constant focus on another independence referendum when there are much more important things that we must face. with.”

He adds: “Scottish Labor can compete again if we offer a positive alternative: a plan to heal our wounds, reunite our people and rebuild our country.”

He cites his own personal experiences growing up in Glasgow and facing racism, saying that they have taught him about the need to speak out and act against prejudice.

“Speaking out against the racism I faced was the hardest thing I ever did in politics. As a result, my family faced death threats. But I have used that experience to spend my time in our communities working on what unites us and bringing people together. I have listened and I have learned.

“I want to bring that same approach to our labor movement so that we can rebuild our party and rebuild our country.”

Leonard resigned last Thursday, sparking Labor Party turmoil just months before the crucial Scottish elections, which the SNP hopes will show increased support for independence.

In a statement, Leonard, who was a left-wing party and ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, said that after failing to reinstate the Labor Party as a threat to the SNP, he had “come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest of the party ”to step aside.

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