Anas Sarwar has declared that his "sole focus" is on becoming Scotland's next first minister following the forthcoming Holyrood election on May 7. The Scottish Labour leader emphasised he has not contemplated his own political future, instead concentrating on winning the vote and delivering change for the country.
Sarwar's Election Strategy
Speaking to the Press Association in Edinburgh on Thursday, Mr Sarwar reiterated his confidence that Labour would defy current opinion polls. Surveys indicate the party is locked in a battle with Reform UK for second place, with both trailing significantly behind the SNP. Under prevailing polling figures, any path for Mr Sarwar to become first minister would likely require a coalition arrangement involving Reform UK.
Mr Sarwar dismissed suggestions that his party would lose the recent Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as "silly", noting that Labour had successfully secured the seat. When pressed on whether he would resign if Labour loses next week's election, he responded: "Your job is to commentate, my job is to persuade, and I want to persuade people in this great country that this is not as good as it gets, that we can deliver change, that we can reject the poison and division of Reform, but also the division of the SNP."
Campaign Confidence
Later, Mr Sarwar elaborated on Labour's internal polling, revealing that the party's "promise rate" — the proportion of voters indicating they will support Labour — is higher than during the by-election campaign. "If you look at the analysis we’ve done on those who started the campaign as undecideds, who are now moving to us in this election campaign, we’re now at a higher rate than we were in the week leading up to the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election," he said.
He expressed confidence in the 38 constituencies that are "on a knife-edge" between Labour and the SNP, which he believes will decide the election outcome. "We think we’re in a pretty good place," he added, while acknowledging the need for continued persuasion in the final week.
Future Commitments
Mr Sarwar also confirmed his intention to serve a full term as an MSP for the Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok constituency, vowing to "serve humbly" his constituents. He ruled out accepting a peerage to sit in the House of Lords, should such an offer be made.
With the election campaign entering its final days, Mr Sarwar remains focused on winning over undecided voters and securing a historic victory that would bring Labour back to power in Scotland for the first time in over a decade.
