There were tears from my mammy. To make her proud is probably one of my greatest achievements
SCOTTISH Labour’s new leader has revealed his mum cried when he won the contest at the weekend.
Anas Sarwar, whose dad Mohammad was the first Muslim MP, also said his victory was a “significant moment” for diverse communities in Scotland.
After being crowned the winner on Saturday, Sarwar became the first Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) leader of a political party in Scotland.
The Glasgow MSP has spoken in the past about death threats his family has received from racists but he believes his election is a symbol of progress.
He said: “When I see the reaction of my own kids, when I see and hear the reaction of my nieces and nephews, and my friends and my friends’ children, I do see that it is a significant moment in terms of our diverse communities in Scotland.
“That says something great about Scotland and its people, that someone like me can be elected to lead a political party and one day aspire to lead a country.” However, he cautioned: “But the fight for equality is far from over. We didn’t end gender inequality when we elected female prime ministers, or female leaders.
“There is still a long way to go to get gender equality in our country.
“And we’ve still got a long way to go to get racial inequality ended in our country as well. And, so, yes, it might help to inspire, to give confidence, but we still need our politics to be rooted in actions not just in words.”
On the response of his parents, he said his mum Perveen is still in Scotland because of Covid travel restrictions.
He said: “She was only meant to come at Christmas time to see her grandweans, and ended up being trapped here and experiencing a Labour leadership election.”
“It was great having my mammy around to just to help me get through it. She’s really proud. I got a call from the old man as well. He was very happy too.”
Sarwar said: “There were tears from my mammy.”
He said his mum is the “rock” of his family, adding: “To make my mother proud is probably one of my greatest achievements.”
Sarwar was born and bred in Glasgow, but he gives a politician’s answer when asked about one of the city’s main passions.
When Rangers play Celtic, who does he support?
He said: “This is where I give the diplomatic answer, and say that coming from a South Asian background, I watch cricket.”
He added: “I love football. I support Scotland.”