Scottish Labour leader refuses to pledge full confidence in Starmer

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has refused to back the Prime Minister as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham hinted at a potential future bid for the top job.

Mr Burnham spoke to the New Statesman and The Telegraph where he hinted at future leadership ambitions as the Prime Minister continues to struggle for popularity.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Mr Sarwar – who has been an outspoken ally of Sir Keir Starmer since he took over as leader – refused to say if he has full confidence in him.

“He has got a really difficult job, we have made significant progress in the last year,” he said.

“If I’ve got one single biggest criticism of a UK Labour Government, it is there have been huge successes, but very few people have been told about them or know about them.”

The Scottish Labour leader cited that mortgage costs had come down in the past 12 months, while wages have increased, but he said the “average person doesn’t know” that.

Further pushed on whether he has full confidence in the Prime Minister, the Scottish Labour leader said: “I think to be even talking in those terms is frankly ridiculous.

“This is a Prime Minister who won a historic victory, removed the Tories from office, won a huge landslide, and now he has to get on with the day job.”

Mr Sarwar said people want to see “how the change is benefiting them and their families”.

He added: “It would be unrealistic to think that we’re going to solve every problem the country has within 15 months – there was 14 years of complete horror that was left by the Conservatives and we’ve got to get on with the work of fixing that.”

With an election looming in Scotland next May, Mr Sarwar added that the person who has to be removed from their job is First Minister John Swinney.

Asked if Sir Keir is the right person to be in Downing Street during that election, Mr Sarwar dodged the question, instead saying: “I think John Swinney is the worst person to be in Bute House and we need someone new in Bute House and that will come at the election in May.”

Pressed further on whether Sir Keir is the right man to be in the top job, Mr Sarwar said: “He is the Prime Minister doing a really important job and he’s got to continue to do that job to improve the country.”

Also speaking to journalists on Thursday, Mr Swinney appeared to relish the issues facing the Labour Party, saying: “I’ll allow the Labour Party to fall apart as I lead the SNP to the success that we want to deliver.”

The comments came as a new Ipsos poll released on Thursday showed Sir Keir to be the most unpopular leader in Scotland, with a net favourability rating of minus 47% – worse than US President Donald Trump by one percentage point.