ANAS Sarwar’s father is back in Scotland and is expected to provide “moral support” to his son during Labour’s bitter leadership contest.
Former Punjab governor Mohammad Sarwar is here on holiday, a trip which included dropping into the office of the Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council and a mosque in the Capital.
His son, a Glasgow MSP, is going head-to-head against Holyrood colleague Richard Leonard in the race to succeed Kezia Dugdale, but the contest has been marked by rows on employment conditions at a business owned by the MSP’s family.
He has been criticised over the failure of United Wholesale (Scotland) - founded by Sarwar senior - to pay the real living wage to all staff, or to recognise trade unions.
At the weekend, the MSP cut his financial ties with the firm by relinquishing his multi-million pound shareholding.
However, the leadership battle has also been controversial due to Labour using the contest as a recruitment drive. New members and supporters have until October 9th to join and get a vote.
It was reported this week that Unite, Labour’s biggest trade union supporter and a Leonard backer, had already signed up nearly 2,700 of its members to the “political levy”, which an individual needs to pay to be eligible to vote.
With around eight weeks to go in the contest, Sarwar will be able to draw on the huge political experience of his father, who has had high-profile political careers in Scotland and Pakistan.
Sarwar senior was a Glasgow Labour MP for over a decade before becoming a politician in Pakistan.
In Edinburgh earlier this week, a picture was put on Twitter of him and seven others, including Foysol Choudhury and Shami Khan, who are respectively listed as ELREC chair and vice chair, outside the charity’s office on Forth street.
Speaking to the Herald, Choudhury said he and others had a picture taken with Sarwar outside the ELREC office, but said no meeting took place.
He said: “He just came down. It’s nothing to do with ELREC.”
Choudhury said the Labour contest was not discussed. He added that ELREC is strictly apolitical.
Professor Geoffrey Palmer, who was in the ELREC building at the time, said a group of people "came in, and then they came out", and then "took photographs in front of the office". Palmer described it as a “passing visit”.
Sarwar also visited the Annandale mosque later in the day.
A source close to Anas Sarwar's campaign said of the candidate’s father: “He's here on holiday to see his family. He has no formal campaign role, although I’m sure as a proud father he will provide moral support and parental advice.”
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