Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has thrown down the gauntlet to First Minister John Swinney, challenging him to a series of head-to-head debates across Scotland in the run-up to the Holyrood elections in May.
The Debate Challenge and Election Stakes
Mr Sarwar called for multiple 'First Minister debates', with one to be held in every region of Scotland. He proposed that each clash focus on a distinct policy area under the Scottish Government's control, such as the NHS, education, and housing.
Issuing the challenge on Monday 5 January 2026, Sarwar framed the May election as a direct choice 'between the failures of the past with John Swinney or a better future with me as First Minister'. He accused the SNP leader of trying to divert attention from his party's record, stating, 'He wants to make it about a government somewhere else, not the government here.'
Labour's Million-Pound Campaign War Chest
Alongside the debate challenge, Sarwar revealed the scale of Scottish Labour's financial push for power. He announced the party would deploy an election fund currently 'sitting at £1 million, and rising'. Notably, almost £500,000 of this total was raised over the recent holiday period alone.
This substantial fund will bankroll what Sarwar pledged would be 'the largest and most effective ground campaign of any party'. He said activists aim to have 'one million conversations' with voters. Furthermore, he committed to 'unleashing the most sophisticated and largest digital operation of any party in Scotland, reaching one million Scots every week'.
Positioning Against SNP and Reform
Despite acknowledging his 'underdog' status against the SNP in current polls, Sarwar insisted Labour 'are determined to win'. He admitted the UK Labour government 'haven't got everything right' and had left some voters 'angry, frustrated and impatient'. However, he argued the Holyrood election was about Scotland's future direction, not a protest vote.
He also took aim at the rising poll numbers for Reform in Scotland, dismissing Nigel Farage's party. 'The truth is Nigel Farage does not care about Scotland. He does not understand Scotland and he does not want to fix Scotland,' Sarwar said, adding that confronting Reform was a responsibility he relished.
Positioning himself as the sole credible alternative, Sarwar concluded: 'I have the hunger, I have the energy, I have the ideas, I am up for the challenge. Is John Swinney?' The stage is now set for a fierce campaign battle ahead of the vote on 7 May.
