Labour winning UK election will be stepping stone to power at Holyrood – Sarwar

Labour winning the next general election will be a “stepping stone” to the party returning to power in Scotland in 2026, Anas Sarwar has said.

The Scottish Labour leader conceded he does not think it will be possible for him to become Scotland’s next first minister without Sir Keir Starmer first being elected to Downing Street.

He said: “I don’t believe there is route to a Scottish Labour government that doesn’t involve Keir Starmer being prime minister and Labour winning the next general election. To me it is that stepping stone.”

Mr Sarwar, who became Scottish Labour leader in 2021, said he and his front bench team at Holyrood are already planning how to “fix the mess” if they oust the SNP from power in Scotland in 2026.

His comments, made at an event at the Institute for Government think tank in London, came as Labour narrowed the SNP’s lead in the polls.

Earlier this month, a 20% swing from the SNP saw Labour win the Rutherglen and Hamilton West Westminster by-election.

Mr Sarwar was frank, saying: “I see the UK general election and the election of Keir Starmer as prime minister as a stepping stone to the election in 2026 rather than the end game.

“I’m upfront about it – and I’m upfront about it with Keir and UK Labour colleagues.”

At the general election expected next year, Mr Sarwar said Scottish Labour will “not be a drag on the ticket”, saying instead that “Scotland is going to lead the way in delivering a UK Labour government”.

The party is already looking at what changes it can bring in north of the border if Sir Keir becomes the next prime minister.

“The hard work has already started about what we want to be implementing in Scotland in the early days of a Labour government,” Mr Sarwar said.

As part of that, he promised the party will “fundamentally change” the UK Government’s Scotland Office, vowing it will be “draped in the Saltire”.

Under the Conservatives, Mr Sarwar claimed: “It feels like the Scotland Office is draped in a Union Jack and is there to be the eyes and ears of the UK Government in Scotland, rather than fighting Scotland’s corner across the UK.

“We would fundamentally change the Scotland Office, where it would be draped in the Saltire and be Scotland’s voice across the UK, and there to be the delivery unit for Scotland to make sure every single department is delivering for Scotland.”

SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said: “Anas Sarwar chose to spend his time at this event talking about flags rather than real policy.

“It’s telling that in the middle of a Westminster-made cost-of-living crisis, where households are struggling to simply get by, soundbites and rhetoric are all the Labour Party and their Scottish branch office have to offer.

“In contrast, the SNP Scottish Government is focused on using its limited powers to deliver for the people of Scotland right now – lifting an estimated 90,000 children out of poverty with the Scottish Child Payment and freezing council tax bills next year to protect family budgets.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Secretary and his team at the Scotland Office play a vital role in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a strong United Kingdom, and representing Scotland’s interests effectively at the heart of the UK Government.

“We will continue to deliver for the Scottish people on important issues such as the cost of living, promoting Scottish business within the UK and overseas, and highlighting funding opportunities across the country.

“Our collaborative work with the Scottish Government, local authorities and communities across the country has been hugely successful in enabling the delivery of more than £2.5 billion of UK Government investment directly into Scotland.”