Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar must smash Keir Starmer's 'Ming vase' to smithereens
Scotland needs politicians focused on ‘the basics’ of public services and the economy
In the months ahead of the 2024 UK general election, the Conservatives were so unpopular that the outcome seemed certain. This led Labour to adopt their so-called “Ming vase” strategy, in which they tiptoed around the big issues and strove to do nothing that might cause a late upset.
As Scottish Labour contemplate their position in the polls – behind both the SNP and Reform UK after a sustained slump over the past 18 months – they must realise that the opposite approach is now necessary if they are to win voters’ hearts and minds in time for the Scottish Parliament election in May.
There are those who insist the result is a foregone conclusion: John Swinney’s nationalists will be returned to government. However while this is the most likely outcome, it is an undemocratically premature judgment. Furthermore, Labour has no choice but to try.
’Most ambitious political campaign’ in Scottish history
Tomorrow, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will effectively launch his party’s Holyrood campaign in a speech in which he will argue that the SNP has demonstrated an inability to “fix the basics”, as evidenced by the state of key public services like the NHS and education.
He is promising to “deliver that biggest and most ambitious political campaign that Scotland has ever seen”. It will need to be, and a central plank of that campaign should be to persuade voters that Sarwar and Starmer are very different people.
It may be difficult to disown his UK party leader, but Sarwar must be ruthless and find a way – and Starmer needs to accept a degree of disloyalty. Indeed, the Prime Minister’s political career may depend upon it as a bad result in May could well trigger a Labour leadership challenge.
Sarwar’s focus on “the basics” of public services and the economy is welcome. This is, after all, what politics should be about.
Faith in government
Like Reform, the SNP has benefited from public cynicism about what governments can achieve – partly based on their own dismal track record. Starmer’s struggles and missteps since winning power have only added to this impression.
However, a good government can make a real difference and voters need to have faith in that idea, rather than the nationalist pipedreams of either Swinney or Nigel Farage.
No election is certain until the results are in. But given Labour’s current standing, they need to smash the Ming vase to smithereens if they are to have any chance at all.
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