Sarwar says Starmer welcome on campaign trail despite resignation call
Anas Sarwar has said Keir Starmer would be welcome to join Scottish Labour’s Holyrood campaign, despite having urged him to resign as prime minister only days earlier.
The Scottish Labour leader reiterated on Sunday that he stood by his call for a change of leadership in Downing Street, arguing there had been “too many mistakes” at the top of the UK government.
But he made clear that he would not block Starmer from campaigning north of the border ahead of the 7 May election.
“If he wants to come and chap doors, as a Labour party member of course he would be welcome to come and encourage people to vote for me to become first minister,” Sarwar said.
“I stand by what I said. I’m very clear about my opinion. It’s for other people in other parts of the UK to state their views.”
Standing by his call
Sarwar last week became the most senior Labour figure to publicly suggest Starmer should step down, prompting cabinet ministers to rally behind him, and rule out any immediate leadership challenge.
Starmer insisted he would not quit and said he had “huge respect” for Sarwar, giving him his “100 per cent” backing and describing him as an “incredible” potential first minister.
Sarwar has denied being part of any coordinated effort to unseat the prime minister, despite reports he had spoken to senior Labour figures.
The leaders included health secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy leader Angela Rayner before making his intervention.
He has framed the row as secondary to the Scottish contest, saying his “loyalty and first priority is to Scotland”, and to removing John Swinney from the role of first minister.
He added: “What I do want ministers to be doing is delivering for Scotland”.
Ongoing pressure on Downing Street
Starmer has faced sustained criticism over his handling of the appointment of Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US, despite Mandelson’s past links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney said he took “full responsibility” for advising on the appointment and subsequently resigned.
Scottish conservative deputy leader Rachel Hamilton said Sarwar was “trying every trick in the book to distance himself from Keir Starmer, but Scots will not be fooled”.
“With three of his Scottish Labour MSPs currently suspended, Sarwar’s party are engulfed in the same levels of sleaze as their counterparts in Downing Street,” she added.