Scottish Labour peer Lord Foulkes has accused Anas Sarwar of failing to present any “bold and attractive” policies during the Holyrood election campaign. In an exclusive article for the Daily Record, Lord Foulkes also described it as a “cop out” to “scapegoat” Sir Keir Starmer for Labour’s defeat on May 7th.
Sarwar Faces Questions Over Leadership
Starmer is expected to resign as Prime Minister tomorrow, but Sarwar is also under pressure to announce his own resignation as Scottish Labour leader. He led the party to its fifth consecutive defeat to the SNP last month, marking Labour’s worst result in the devolution era. Sarwar’s allies have blamed the defeat on Starmer’s struggles, while other senior figures point the finger at the Scottish Labour leader.
Critics argue that Sarwar, the Glasgow MSP, did not offer a bold alternative to the SNP. In his article, Lord Foulkes acknowledged Sarwar as the “most charismatic” of all Scottish party leaders during the election but criticised the campaign’s lack of policy substance.
Foulkes: Scapegoating Starmer Is a 'Cop Out'
Lord Foulkes wrote: “The easy and now familiar excuse is to blame the unpopularity of Labour at Westminster and Sir Keir Starmer in particular. But that is scapegoating! It is true that it was a factor and it, ironically, became increasingly so when Starmer was denounced, thus drawing more attention away from Holyrood and the appalling SNP record. But it is also a cop out. The Scottish Labour campaign hoped that the contest would be based on the character of Scottish leaders alone and so had no really bold and attractive policy proposals in our manifesto.”
He suggested that a plan to build tunnels for transporting people between islands was “rejected for no good reason”. Foulkes also criticised Labour’s positions on tax, schools, and land reform. The former minister in Tony Blair’s government said Scottish Labour could not “sit back for the next few years” but must “reflect” on their loss.
Timing of Sarwar's Departure
Senior party figures are pressing Sarwar, who has stated he will continue in post, to outline his own timetable for quitting as leader. Insiders expect Sarwar to step down later this year, after the UK leadership drama involving Starmer and Andy Burnham is resolved. Speculation is mounting that Sarwar could be appointed to the House of Lords and given a role in a Burnham administration, which would require him to stand down from Holyrood as well as the party leadership.
One MSP likely to be a candidate in any leadership contest is Michael Marra, whose supporters would prefer a coronation. Potential rivals include fellow MSP Paul Sweeney, who is not believed to have made a final decision on whether to run.
