Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has promised to cut NHS waiting lists and end what he calls a 'culture of secrecy' in the Scottish Government, as he visited a karate dojo in Glasgow during the final week of campaigning before the May 7 election.
In an interview with the Sunday Mail, Sarwar described the scandal at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) as the 'single biggest failure' of 20 years of SNP rule. An independent review in 2021 found that 84 children had been infected with rare bacteria at the £842 million hospital, which opened in 2015. Seven deaths, including that of 10-year-old Milly Main, are being investigated for potential links to the hospital environment.
Sarwar said: 'I have never, in my life, come across a bigger scandal, or a bigger tragedy here in Scotland. The very idea that children could lose their lives, and their parents would not be told the true cause of their death, is in itself a scandal.' He accused the SNP government of working 'hand in glove with a health board to cover up and deny problems for years' and claimed that 'brave staff' who spoke out were 'bullied and gaslit and silenced'.
The former dentist, who served as a Labour MP from 2010 to 2015 and became MSP in 2016, also pledged to end the '8am rush for a GP' and 'bring back the family doctor'. However, opinion polls suggest his chances of becoming first minister have fallen, partly due to the unpopularity of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom Sarwar called on to resign in February.
Sarwar insisted the election is about the SNP's record, not the Labour government's, saying: 'This election will decide the future of our NHS, our housing system, our communities, our education system, opportunities for our kids.' He did not rule out trying to form a government even if Labour does not win the most seats.
SNP candidate Clare Haughey criticised Sarwar's pledge, claiming Labour plans to cut £1 billion from the health service budget. A Reform source also mocked Sarwar, suggesting he might need a new hobby after the election.
