Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar set to become a minister in Burnham’s government

Reform UK’s Scotland deputy leader Thomas Kerr said: “Only weeks ago, Anas Sarwar stood before the people of Glasgow asking for their trust and insisting that his future was here in Scotland. Today, those same voters will rightly feel betrayed.

“Throughout the election campaign, he dismissed suggestions that he had ambitions elsewhere and claimed his focus was on serving Scotland.

“Now, at the first opportunity, he has walked away from the very people who placed their faith in him.”

Jim Murphy, who was Scottish Labour leader from 2014 to 2015, told BBC News: “If it’s confirmed I think it’s good news for him [Sarwar] personally but it probably, on balance, strengthens the government.

“It will open up a vacancy, of course, for leader of the Scottish Labour Party.”

He said Andy Burnham had a maximum three years until the next election and had appointed people he felt could deliver quickly.

“He’s come to a judgement that Anas, as part of a wider team, can do that,” he said.

“That will be difficult for him [Sarwar]. He will have to get up to speed very quickly but congratulations to him.”

Murphy added that there was turbulence whenever there was a leader change within a party.

“I don’t enjoy it,” he said.

“A good group of really talented people were removed from government yesterday but there are always more talented people than jobs available, so Andy will have to work pretty hard delivering what he promised – which is uniting the Labour tribe to enable them to take on Reform and others.”