Sarwar: Labour needs to be better at telling its ‘positive story’

Labour needs to be better at communicating its successes, Anas Sarwar said, as he suggested Sir Keir Starmer would play a limited role in the campaign ahead of Scotland’s elections next year.

He said Sir Keir would “play a part” in the campaign but “I’ll be at the forefront”.

A recent Ipsos Scotland poll suggested Sir Keir was less popular than US President Donald Trump, adding to Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar’s problems as he seeks to oust the SNP in the 2026 elections.

Asked if that was a problem, Mr Sarwar told a Politico fringe event at the Labour Party conference:  “Keir Starmer is not standing to be first minister, I am.”

He told activists in Liverpool “the election next year doesn’t change the UK Labour Government, doesn’t decide who the prime minister is” and it was a straight choice between the SNP and Scottish Labour, although he conceded Reform would make a lot of “noise”.

Asked if he wanted Sir Keir to stay away from Scotland in the run-up to May’s vote, he said: “Keir Starmer has got an important job to do in No 10, he’s got an important job to do as Prime Minister.

“Of course he’ll play a part in our campaign, but I will be leading our campaign.

“I’ll be at the forefront of our campaign. I’m the candidate. I’m the person that’s going to be on the ballot paper, I’m the person that aspires to be first minister.”

He appeared frustrated at Labour’s inability to trumpet achievements on rising wages and falling mortgage costs.

“Why aren’t the Labour politicians, whenever they’re on the TV or whenever on the stage, when they’re asked, rightly, about the cost of living crisis, making the case?” he said.

“Why aren’t we telling that positive Labour story and making that case?”

With Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham not disguising his leadership ambitions, Mr Sarwar said Labour had to make use of all its key players.

He said: “Keir Starmer is a fantastic Prime Minister and Andy Burnham is a fantastic mayor of Greater Manchester.

“We need all the best people on the pitch making the case for Labour.”

He suggested Labour’s goal in the 2026 Holyrood contest was to form a minority government, as it was “pretty obvious” no party would win an outright majority, working with other parties and MSPs on an issue-by-issue basis.

Ruling out any sort of deal with Reform UK, he said: “Nigel Farage thinks I’m the enemy. Nigel Farage thinks that I’m someone that’s not loyal to my country.”

He added: “I was born in Scotland. My kids are brought up in Scotland. I’m as Scottish as anybody else.

“I’ll always obviously be more Scottish than Nigel Farage will ever be.

“I’ll tell you what, I am more representative of British values as well, than Nigel Farage will ever be, and that’s why Scotland rejected them.”