Anas Sarwar refuses to say 11 times if he spoke to Sir Keir Starmer about Ian Murray sacking
The Scottish Labour leader has repeatedly refused to say if he has spoken to Keir Starmer about Ian Murray being sacked as Scottish Secretary.
Anas Sarwar has refused to say 11 times whether he spoke to the Prime Minister before Ian Murray was sacked as Scottish Secretary - claiming doing so would be “inappropriate”.
Mr Murray, who held the fort as Scottish Labour’s only MP for years, was dismissed from Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet on Friday as part of the fallout from Angela Rayner quitting as deputy prime minister and UK housing secretary.
Douglas Alexander has replaced Mr Murray in a role he previously held under Tony Blair’s government.
Mr Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, who is a close friend of Mr Murray, was repeatedly asked by journalists whether he was consulted or even spoke to Sir Keir about the decision. But Mr Sarwar refused to answer the question on 11 occasions during an event in Glasgow on Wednesday.
The Scottish Labour leader told The Scotsman that it was “a decision for the Prime Minister”.
Mr Sarwar said: “He decides who sits round his Cabinet table.
“As you will know, Douglas Alexander is the co-chair of the election campaign next year. That's a role that I appointed him to before any reshuffle. He will continue in that role. That demonstrates the close working relationship that we have and how much I rate him.
“Ian was doing a great job in government, Douglas will continue that hard work. But both remain in government and both remain relentlessly focused on making sure a UK Labour government is delivering for Scotland.”
Asked by The Scotsman whether he spoke to Sir Keir about the decision, Mr Sarwar said: “I’m not going to get into any private conversations with the Prime Minister.”
Pressed over why he could pick and choose when he tells people about his conversations with the PM, Mr Sarwar told The Scotsman: “When we talk about issues related to policy, when we talk about issues related to broader issues whether it be the Middle East, whether it be on budget settlements for the Scottish Government, when you are asking me policy questions I will give you policy answers.
“But I’m not going to get into personality-based, individual-based private conversations with the Prime Minister. I don't think that would be appropriate.”
Asked if he agreed with an unnamed Scottish Labour MP that Douglas Alexander is a “wee p**** that nobody likes”, Mr Sarwar said: “All 37 Scottish Labour MPs are fantastic colleagues, very likeable, hard-working and all resolutely focused on making sure we beat the SNP next year.”
SNP MSP Rona Mackay said: "Either Anas Sarwar is too embarrassed to admit he was cut out of the loop, or he simply doesn't matter enough in Keir Starmer's Labour Party to be consulted.
"The disregard Keir Starmer shows towards Anas Sarwar speaks volumes about Scottish Labour’s influence and relevance to the Prime Minister.
"If Anas Sarwar can’t even defend his own MPs or secure a straight answer from his own boss, how on earth can he claim to stand up for Scotland?”
Scottish Conservative deputy leader, Rachael Hamilton, said: “This effectively confirms Anas Sarwar was completely blindsided by Keir Starmer and had no say in the sacking of Ian Murray.
“His refusal to say so sums up the chaos surrounding the UK Labour government and why so many Scots have turned their back on them after a year of broken promises and u-turns.”
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