Sarwar gambles on break with Starmer as Holyrood race tightens

"People look at Holyrood and think: Lets give them all a bloody nose', says Alex, a betting shop manager. Speaking in a focus group of people who voted Labour at the 2024 general election, Alex captured the downbeat mood of a cohort bitterly disappointed with the Labour government's early performance, frustrated by the record of the Scottish National party and wearied by what they described as scandal after scandal polluting public life."

"With two months to go until the Scottish parliament elections, these are the voters Sarwar believes he can re-energise. Their dissatisfaction with Westminster lay behind his calculated decision a fortnight ago to call for Kier Starmer to stand aside, as polls consistently show Scottish Labour, a once buoyant party, trailing in third place behind John Swinney's SNP and Reform UK."

"One said Sarwar's attack on Starmer did two things. First, Labour faces the very clear risk that the SNP, and angry voters, will turn May's contest into a referendum on Starmer and his government's repeated mistakes and missteps. By echoing elements of that criticism, Sarwar"

Scottish Labour faces significant challenges ahead of upcoming parliament elections, trailing behind the SNP and Reform UK in polling. Focus groups reveal voter frustration with the Labour government's early performance, SNP's record, and widespread political scandal. Leader Anas Sarwar made a strategic decision to call for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation, despite their personal friendship, to distance Scottish Labour from Westminster's unpopularity. Party insiders view this move as tactically sound, preventing the SNP from framing the election as a referendum on Starmer's government failures. By acknowledging voter concerns about Westminster, Sarwar aims to refocus the election on Scottish governance and re-energize disappointed Labour supporters.

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