Sarwar encouraged Labour heading for second place but winning elections is aim

Anas Sarwar has said his party will always strive for the top spot amid suggestions Labour may be able to seal second place in the upcoming council elections.

The Scottish Labour leader said he is encouraged by the forecast, as his party works hard to restore “electability” ahead of the May 5 polls.

In the 2017 council elections, Labour under Kezia Dugdale won just 262 seats – a significant drop of 133 compared to the previous local government ballot in 2012.

The party lost traditional Labour strongholds, including Glasgow City Council which the SNP won for the first time.

The result put Labour in third place overall as they fell behind the Scottish Conservatives.

Since then, Mr Sarwar said the party has been working relentlessly to restore “credibility” and “likeability”.

But whether this has been successful will be determined next week as voters deliver their verdict.

As the Scottish Conservatives are blighted by suggestions that issues such as partygate could hinder their chances, Mr Sarwar told the PA news agency he is confident his party’s message – which puts the cost-of-living crisis at the forefront – will resonate with voters.

But while second place could be in Mr Sarwar’s sights, he said it will never be the party’s aspiration.

Speaking during a campaign visit to Helensburgh market, Argyll and Bute, on Saturday, he said: “I don’t aspire for second place – I aspire for first place and that might be too long a haul in this election, but that’s the work I want us to be able to be competing to win elections so we can actually change people’s lives and not just protest what we’re against.

“We haven’t won elections because we haven’t been good enough and I am determined to give the people of Scotland the Labour Party they deserve.

“I think even my harshest critic would accept that I’m putting all my energy and all my efforts into making that a reality.

“I think we’ve brought credibility back to the Labour Party. I think we’ve brought likeability – we now need to turn that into electability, and that is a long-stage process and that staging post is one coming up next week.”

Mr Sarwar also condemned the SNP and Conservative governments in power at Holyrood and Westminster for their handling of the cost-of-living crisis.