A SERVING councillor threatened a Labour colleague with deselection over Anas Sarwar’s leadership bid, it has been claimed.
The claim was made by prominent Glasgow Labour councillor Matt Kerr in an online discussion about Sarwar’s campaign to succeed Richard Leonard.
The former trade union official stepped down last week, saying speculation about his leadership had become a “distraction” for the party.
Glasgow MSP Sarwar and Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon are going head-to-head for the position.
So far the Unite trade union has given its support to Lennon, while Sarwar has the backing of Usdaw, the Labour Movement for Europe and as many as 75% of nominating parliamentarians plus in excess of 80 councillors.
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The winner will be announced next month after a vote by party members.
The contest comes little more than three years after Leonard defeated Sarwar for Scottish Labour’s top job in a contest triggered by the resignation of Kezia Dugdale.
And it comes less than 12 months after Kerr was himself defeated by Jackie Baillie – currently the party’s acting leader – in a deputy leadership race enacted after Leslie Laird lost her Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat in the December 2019 General Election.
In an online conversation about Sarwar’s current candidacy, seen by the Sunday National, Kerr claimed Glasgow councillor Bailie Hanif Raja had spoken to him about backing Sarwar last time around, stating: “His pal, cllr Hanif Raja, informed me that I would be backing Sarwar for the leadership in 2017 ‘or you’ll never be selected for anything ever again’.”
Raja, who sits on the council’s Wellbeing, Empowerment, Community and Citizen Engagement Policy Committee, said he was “totally shocked” at the claim. He told this newspaper: “I am socialist and democrat whole my political life.
“I am totally shocked at the allegation made on social media by cllr Kerr. [I] look forward to see comradeship during the leadership contest.”
READ MORE: Major trade union backs Monica Lennon for Scottish Labour leader
Kerr did not respond to an approach by the Sunday National.
However, a spokesperson for Sarwar said: “Anas co-ordinated Labour’s local government campaign in Glasgow in 2019 and worked hard to get Matt and other Labour councillors elected.
“He’ll continue working with all Labour councillors to fight the SNP cuts that are devastating local communities.”
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