The Sarwar Quandary
All political parties are in trouble, for different reasons, but the Scottish Labour Party has it’s own special problems. It was very recently heralded as the solution to Labour, to Britain and the Union. The 2024 General Election result in which Labour won a landslide of 411 seats across the UK, with Scottish Labour winning 37 of the 57 Scottish seats was meant to be a return to normal settings. The commentariat was jubilant; all was well again.
These glory days were limited and the faithful scribes are not so happy now.
On Saturday, in The Times, Daniel Sanderson and John Boothman wrote a very strange puff-piece explaining how ‘Anas Sarwar plots bust-up with Starmer to save Holyrood campaign’, and that ‘Senior members of Scottish Labour believe that the prime minister is a ball and chain around its chances of ousting the SNP in May’s election’. Huge if true.
But what was this journalism? Who publicly explains a plot for the bold Sarwar to ‘rebel’ or break-ranks with his leader?
Sanderson and Boothman explian helpfully: “There is now an acceptance that if Starmer is to remain in No 10 for the Holyrood elections — and some senior Sarwar allies are no longer convinced that is a certainty — the Scottish leader will have to split from the prime minister decisively.”
and
Now, there is a belief that the looming split between Sarwar and Starmer will not be a manufactured row with the tacit agreement of No 10.
Cunning stuff.
However, McColm’s upbeat assessment withers: “As the Labour party prepares to meet for its annual conference in Liverpool, the picture is very different indeed. Scottish Labour is 17 points behind the SNP and Sarwar’s mojo appears to have deserted him. This has not gone unnoticed among colleagues who fear the ship cannot be turned around before next May and the SNP will score a fifth consecutive election victory.”
“Where did it all go wrong? Some of Sarwar’s colleagues are quite clear: the fault lies with Sir Keir Starmer. A series of decisions, such as the announcement by by the Prime Minister last year that his Government would scrap the Winter Fuel Allowance (a partial U-turn has already taken place), played very badly in Scotland and Sarwar, say colleagues, was left hanging out to dry.”
So we are back to Daniel Sanderson and John Boothman’s cunning ruse for Sarwar to feign autonomy from London Labour and take a brave stance on something (anything). The only problem with this great plan is we’ve briefed it to The Times. Damn.
Over at the super soaraway Sun, Chris Musson is also laying into the beleaguered Labour leader [Anas Sarwar’s gone from next First Minister to begging for a miracle]:
“…if things don’t change quickly, hope for a miracle. Because behind all the bravado and claims that they’re ready for battle with the Nats, the damage from the past year is bad. Really bad.
Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander “It’s not called the Britcard and it it isn’t even a card, it is a digital identity”
Cue Labour/Reform/Tory plan to ‘end this devolution nonsense’.
Mike – the General election result for Labour last year was due to a number of factors mainly unrelated to Labour policies:
1)disillusionment with SNP due to internal party issues, poor level of competence in governance, problems with public services and no realistic route to independence. This led to some previous Labour supporters switching back to Labour and many SNP supporters not voting.
2)many previous Tory voters in Scotland were completely disenchanted with Tories after Johnson shenanigans and Truss budget farce. Many of these voters would have voted Labour, reassured by lack of radical ideas of Starmer and opposition to SNP and independence.
3)Labour had not been in power at Westminster or Holyrood for so long that previous missteps in government no longer mattered. Voters felt able to register their opposition to current Westminster and Holyrood governments by voting Labour.
4)Labour won a landslide of seats in Scotland (as in UK) on just over 1/3rd of votes due to the vagaries of FPTP electoral system. This would have not been so applicable at next years Holyrood election.
In short Labour benefited from voters disillusionment with incumbent governments at both Westminster and Holyrood and this was never going to be situation at next years Holyrood election. At best Labour could have shored up support in Scotland with policies relevant to Scotland and an improvement in living standards. . None of this has happened and Labour’s popularity in Scotland has consequently plummeted.
Many of the disillusioned voters now seem scunnered with both Labour and Tory, are not willing to vote SNP because they tend to oppose independence, are not Liberal or Green in outlook and seem willing to vote Reform as a way of expressing their feelings.
If anyone Labour-minded thought Sarwar was the answer then what the f8ck was the question ?
He , like his father , is an unashamed chameleon who could stand for Labour , Tory or even Reform UK.
Why anyone in Scottish (sic ) Labour could think that a millionaire , privately educated , unprincipled ambulance chaser like Sarwar was the right person to lead them would have Mick McGahey spinning in his grave .
Mick was a Communist.
Reform riding on the high waves of a UK wide perfect storm…Farage and Reform get a free pass due to the white hot hate of Labour and in Scotland they gain a free pass due to the medias hatred of all things ‘Nat’…the Unionist commentariat in ‘North Britain’ blind faith & loyalty to New Labour has been compromised and sorely tested by the strategic incompetence and general shitshow offered up by Sir Childstarver…they had jumped horse and rode the blue horse of Toryism for a time in Scotland…but of course that horse has bolted long ago here in North Britain…and so when push comes to shove and all feet go to the pump for the sacred union (the most successful union in the world EVER and now that’s what I call a UNION) in North Britain we will see them rip off their democratic mask and slip seamlessly behind Reform…it will be very interesting to see the response here when they jump on that particular mutant Horse named Reform due to them being so out of touch with what is happening on the ground in Scotland combined with the mass loathing of Farage across the country…maybe that ‘horse’ they place their unionist ticket on will in fact be akin to the Scottish mythological kelpie (sea-horse)… a shapeshifting water spirit that appears as a horse and is fatally dangerous for those that follow it as it take’s on human form to lure victims to their deaths…we can only dream!
Devine – you can see how the media in Scotland are trying to piggyback onto UK news and talk up the anti immigrant sentiment in Scotland.
Unlike in England the population in Scotland has barely increased yet talking heads are claiming immigration is causing pressure on housing and public services here. This is palpable nonsense as the pressure is coming from the increasingly elderly population who often live alone after death of partner and have greater healthcare and socialcare requirements. This is a fact of life (longer life) that governments and society have failed to adequately respond to.
The latest Youguv poll indicates that Reform would get 5 MP’s all across south of Scotland indicating that many current Tory voters have few qualms in transferring their support to Reform.
If Labour vote collapses in Scotland it will be interesting to see where their vote goes. Based on how many middle class homeowners in Scotland voted against independence I would not be surprised if many of them would opt for Reform if they thought that it was best option to stave off independence. Their primary motivation when push comes to shove is to protect their own personal advantage and advancement. They will publicly decry Farage and privately vote for a xenophobic, racist AngloBritish nationalist to stave off these ‘nasty Scottish nationalists’.
If Anwar is Sooty to Starmers Harry Corbett (younger readers will need to look this up) – who then has his hand up Starmers jacksie? Step forward the unelected Irish zionist McSweeney. Tell me Scotland how does it feel to have the shots called by an unelected Irish zionist and righ whinger? Those from LINO reading this – do the decent thing – fold the party – its days are done – or take to the wets – whatever..