Anas Sarwar says Scottish Labour MPs will oppose 'political stunt' Starmer vote over 'Mandelson scandal'
The SNP has accused Anas Sarwar of having “chosen Starmer over Scotland”, arguing that “the branch office is back”.
Anas Sarwar has confirmed Labour MPs will vote against a “party political stunt” in the Commons to support Keir Starmer facing an investigation over what he described as the “Mandelson scandal”.
The Scottish Labour leader, despite being just nine days out from polling day, told The Scotsman that he still believes voters will shift their attention away from Westminster and onto devolved issues like the NHS and education.
Mr Sarwar hit out at the SNP and Conservatives for bringing a vote to the House of Commons later, demanding Sir Keir faces a sleaze probe over whether he misled MPs over the vetting of Mr Mandelson before being appointed US ambassador.
“It’s a political stunt nine days out from an election”, Mr Sarwar told journalists in Glasgow.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar insists he can defy polling by using 'sophisticated' campaign to target knife-edge seats
“People know my view on Keir Starmer, they know my view on the Mandelson scandal. But Labour MPs are not going to take part in a political stunt.
“They are going to focus on this election campaign. They will vote against this party political stunt from the SNP with the Tories and others.”
He added: “Yes, I have a frustration with the mistakes made by Keir Starmer - that’s why I said what I said back in February.
“But the opportunity people have in this election is to change the government in Scotland and to remove the SNP from office and change the first minister. A vote for me and Scottish Labour is not an endorsement of Keir Starmer. It won’t be used as an endorsement of Keir Starmer.”
Pressed by The Scotsman over whether he is shying away from criticising the Prime Minister after previously calling on him to resign. Mr Sarwar insisted that he was “not recoiling, stepping back for a moment”.
“I’ve stated my position and I stand by my position”, he added.
“Questions that need to be answered, of course, need to happen through the appropriate parliamentary process.
“My view is well-known. I don’t think Peter Mandelson should have even been considered for the role of ambassador. He should never have been the ambassador.
“I think there have been far too many mistakes and the Mandelson scandal was the tipping point for me.”
The Scottish Labour leader argued Scots do not “want or need to give the SNP a free pass for five years of more failure because of the frustration they have with a politician somewhere else”.
He said: “After two years of a Labour government, people may have frustrations and disappointments. What we are deciding on is the judgements on 20 years of SNP government.
“I’m confident that on May 7, what people will be focused on is access to local health services, the opportunities that their kids are getting at school and they will be focused on the skills system and how we are the government that actually functions and works here in Scotland.”
SNP Westminster leader ,Stephen Flynn, said: “The branch office is back - Anas Sarwar and his Labour MPs have today chosen Starmer over Scotland by voting for what looks like a grubby cover-up in the Peter Mandelson scandal.
“Voters across Scotland now know that Anas Sarwar’s words are meaningless and he is too weak and untrustworthy to actually stand up to Starmer when it matters most.
“Instead of taking action to investigate the scandal-hit Prime Minister, Sarwar and his Scottish Labour MPs have followed orders from Downing Street to keep him in place and, in doing so, have directly implicated themselves in the Mandelson scandal.”
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