Members of East Lothian Labour Party have voted to give a supporting nomination for the Scottish Labour leadership contest to Anas Sarwar MSP.

Those present at the supporting nomination meeting in Prestonpans, which followed the party’s Annual General Meeting, voted to back Mr Sarwar’s bid for the leadership by a margin of 36 votes to 22.

At the AGM, the party elected a new Executive Committee for the year ahead with Colin Yorkston from Prestonpans taking over as Chair and Cllr Fiona Dugdale as Vice-Chair.

The decision to nominate Mr Sarwar was welcomed by local MP Martin Whitfield:

“As the co-chair of Anas Sarwar’s campaign, I am delighted with this decision by fellow members in East Lothian. We are one of the areas of Scotland where Labour has continued winning elections because people know we will stand up for East Lothian and defend its interests.

“I know that Anas will bring the same commitment and drive to winning across Scotland, with a focus on delivering high quality public services and supporting communities. This is in stark contrast to the chaotic approach of the Tories at Westminster and the SNP’s endless pursuit of independence at Holyrood.”

Iain Gray MSP added:

“I have worked with Anas week in week out at Holyrood since last year’s elections. He is a polished performer in Parliament and has successfully exposed the SNP Government’s poor record on health, making Health Secretary Shona Robison’s life a misery.

“He also has the ability to connect with a broad range of people and effectively make the case for Labour’s values. I have no doubt that he is the right person to take Scottish Labour forward and be the next First Minister of Scotland.”