Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has declared that a vote for Labour in Scotland is not a vote for Sir Keir Starmer, saying he too is “angry and disappointed” about Westminster politics. In an article for The Independent, Mr Sarwar sought to distance his party from Labour’s record in government, arguing that the upcoming Holyrood election is “the first opportunity to change the government in Scotland for 20 years”.
Mr Sarwar, who called on the prime minister to quit in February, wrote that voters should not treat the Scottish election as “an election without consequence, about protest or some kind of free hit”. He described it as being about “our schools and hospitals, and getting change in Scotland”. The intervention comes as Labour faces turmoil nationally, with expectations of heavy losses in local elections this week and reports of a plot among MPs to oust Sir Keir.
The Scottish Labour leader insisted that only his party could replace the SNP in key constituencies and form a serious alternative government. “If you want to reject the poison of Reform, beat the SNP and change Scotland, there is only one route to do it and that is Scottish Labour,” he wrote. He added that a vote for Scottish Labour would not be used as an endorsement of the prime minister, but to change Scotland’s first minister.
Mr Sarwar’s remarks reflect deepening discontent within the party over Sir Keir’s leadership. In February, he said there had been “too many mistakes” from Downing Street and that “the distraction needs to end”. According to reports, backbench Labour MPs are planning to push for the prime minister’s resignation in an open letter, reminiscent of the round-robin letter sent to Sir Tony Blair two decades ago. Housing minister Steve Reed said on Tuesday that MPs “want this psychodrama to stop” and warned against “doomscrolling through leaders”.
The Holyrood elections are expected to deliver another SNP victory, with Labour and Reform competing for second place. Labour’s support in Scotland has collapsed since its landslide win in the 2024 general election, and Mr Sarwar’s latest intervention appears aimed at stemming further losses by distancing himself from Westminster’s record.
