An exasperated Scottish Labour leader hit out at the continued briefings from party MPs about Starmer.
Anas Sarwar has rounded on “idiotic” Scottish Labour MPs who want Keir Starmer to stand down before the Holyrood election. The Scottish Labour leader hit out at briefings by colleagues amid polls showing his party around 20 points behind the SNP.
With Sarwar’s party facing a tough election, some of his MPs believe Starmer should be replaced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting ahead of May. In briefings to the Times and Daily Telegraph, they said Starmer should quit to give Sarwar the best chance of toppling the SNP.
But the sniping has infuriated Sarwar who believe the negative stories portray Scottish Labour as divided. He said: “I’ve always had the view that anyone that thinks the answer to any issue is to do briefings or counter briefings or talk negatively about their colleagues, I think that is idiotic.
“The best thing that our ministers can do is get behind their doors, at their desks, improving outcomes for people across the country. And the best thing Scottish Labour MPs can do is be on the front line with their candidates, making the arguments about what the choice is in Scotland and helping us get rid of the SNP and elect a new government. And I know that’s what every single one of them are committed to.”
One party source said the suspects are on the Right of the Scottish Labour group at Westminster. “Some do want Wes in. Others are just angry men who have not been made Ministers.”
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Sarwar admitted on Monday that Starmer is not popular among voters and criticised some of his mistakes. But it is understood he is not in favour of a divisive UK Labour leadership contest ahead of the election.
Despite a series of dismal opinion polls for Scottish Labour, Sarwar has insisted he can still be First Minister.
He said: “I believe we will elect a new first minister in this country and I believe that will be me.”
However, he acknowledged he has “a lot of work to do in the next 122 days” if he is to beat the SNP.
With Reform tipped to push Labour into third place, Sarwar said only he or John Swinney would be First Minister after May.
He said: “Reform can’t win this election, but they can help the SNP win this election, and that is why John Swinney is so desperate to talk them up.”
He went on to accuse Swinney of “trying to dupe his own supporters” with his target of the SNP winning an overall majority to force a second independence referendum.
Asked if an SNP majority would be a mandate for a fresh referendum, Sarwar said “It’s not going to happen. We’re going to elect a new government.”
He added: “He is trying to dupe his own supporters.”
