Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has refused to resign despite his party's poor performance in recent opinion polls, which show Labour trailing in third place behind the SNP and Reform in Scotland. At a press conference in Glasgow, Sarwar instead called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stand down, saying: 'The distraction has to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.'
Sarwar argued that Starmer's leadership has damaged Labour's chances in the upcoming Scottish parliament elections in May, with the SNP's John Swinney now appearing likely to remain in power. He cited 'too many mistakes' by Number 10, including the scandal over Peter Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein, as reasons for the call.
Sarwar said: 'We cannot allow the failures at the heart of Downing Street to mean the failures continue here in Scotland, because the election in May is not without consequence for the lives of Scots.' He added that his priority was to Scotland and that he did not want to 'sacrifice' the country to a third decade of SNP government.
The call for Starmer to go has sparked a backlash among some Scottish Labour MPs, with one telling the Guardian: 'Anas does not speak for us all.' However, senior cabinet ministers including David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, and Yvette Cooper have publicly backed the prime minister, while others like Wes Streeting have offered more muted support.
Sarwar revealed that he had informed Starmer of his intention to call for his resignation earlier in the day, and that 'it's fair to say, we didn't agree.' The development comes as Starmer faces a series of electoral challenges, including the Scottish elections, which could determine his political future.
