Sarwar open to campaigning with Starmer despite urging him to quit
The Scottish Labour leader called on the Prime Minister to resign on Monday
The leader of Scottish Labour has stood by his call for Keir Starmer to quit Downing Street, but also said he would be open to campaigning alongside him ahead of the Holyrood election in May.
Anas Sarwar said the Prime Minister was “welcome” to visit ahead of the vote “if he is here delivering for Scotland”. Opponents called the comments “farcical”.
Elsewhere, he denied his dramatic intervention was part of wider attempt to force Sir Keir to resign, telling journalists: “This was my decision and my decision alone.”
Mr Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to call for Sir Keir to quit on Monday amid the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal.
Despite this, a No10 spokesperson said on Wednesday that Sir Keir “will again visit Scotland” and “will campaign in Scotland” before May 7.
“He regularly visits Scotland,” the spokesperson said. “He will again visit Scotland. He will campaign in Scotland. He supports Anas Sarwar.”
Speaking to journalists in Holyrood, Mr Sarwar said: “I stated my view. I stand by that view. I welcome the fact that there is now general acceptance that things have not been good enough, that there have been far too many mistakes and things have to change.
“But I’m the one who is standing to be First Minister in three month’s time. I’m the one who is putting myself before the people of Scotland in three months’ time.”
He added: “This was my decision and my decision alone. I was not part of any wider attempt or any wider organisation. I took the decision based upon what I’m willing to tolerate, what I’m willing to accept, recognising that my first loyalty and my first priority is to my country, Scotland, and I’m the one who is putting myself forward to the country in three months’ time.”
Asked if he would welcome the Prime Minister on the campaign trail, he said: “The best thing that the Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues can do is to be behind their doors at their desks delivering for Scotland.
“Of course, if ministers want to come and demonstrate what a UK Labour government is doing to deliver for the people of Scotland, that is welcome.”
He added: “In terms of the campaign itself, I am leading this campaign, I’m the person who is standing to be First Minister, I’m the one who believes I can and must win this election for Scotland.”
Pushed on whether he would stand beside the Prime Minister on the campaign trail, Mr Sarwar said: "The Prime Minister, and other ministers, of course, if they want to come to Scotland and demonstrate that they are delivering for Scotland by being a UK Labour government, that is welcome."
Pressed again on whether he would stand beside him, he said: "If he is here delivering for Scotland, of course."
A source said the pair were unlikely to be knocking doors together, but Mr Sarwar could attend, for example, a major government announcement.
Sir Keir will not travel north for the upcoming Scottish Labour spring conference in Paisley, which takes place the day after the Gorton and Denton by-election in Greater Manchester.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “Anas Sarwar is making it up as he goes long. It is farcical that he said with a straight face that he’d welcome Keir Starmer alongside him on the campaign trail despite wanting him gone as Prime Minister.
“This just shows that Scottish Labour’s leader is still happy to champion the UK Labour government despite them repeatedly failing Scots on so many issues.
“On both sides of the border, scandal-ridden Labour are in complete meltdown and are totally incapable of standing up to the SNP.”
Although many Labour MSPs have backed Mr Sarwar’s call, only two of the party’s Scottish MPs - Brian Leishman and Euan Stainbank - have publicly said they agree.
Former Labour first minister Jack McConnell has said Mr Sarwar was right to speak his mind and call for Sir Keir to quit.
Lord McConnell, who was first minister between 2001 and 2007, said the decision was “brave”.
Speaking to Tonight with Andrew Marr on LBC, he said: “I think it does show that he's his own man.”
However, he stopped short of calling for the Prime Minister to go himself, citing a lack of alternative candidates.
Lord McConnell said the implications of Mr Sarwar’s intervention are unclear.
But he added: “If he wants to be First Minister, he wants to be First Minister on his own terms and he's very clear that that is not a substandard job.
“It's a huge job and it's one that needs somebody who can fill the shoes. So I think he showed that.”
Lord McConnell, who was the last Labour first minister of Scotland before the SNP took power, said Mr Sarwar was right to speak his mind.
He said he would be “surprised” if Mr Sarwar had acted without some indication others would join his call.
Asked if Mr Sarwar was right to call for the Prime Minister to resign, Lord McConnell said: “I would only ever answer that question in the affirmative if others, and probably, you know, more than one other, was stepping up with the vision and the organisation and the discipline and the courage to show that they can fill the shoes more successfully.
“To me, that's at least one of the main issues at the moment, which is that if you're going to change, you're going to make a change after everything that's happened, then somebody needs to step up and fill the shoes.
“And at the moment, quite clear, particularly from what happened on Monday, that the courage, the politics, the organisation that is required to become Prime Minister is not yet obvious in any of the potential contenders.
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