Labour’s Civil War
The Labour Party in Scotland are spending huge amounts of money on social media to promote Anas Sarwar in his campaign to become First Minister (they’re currently twenty points behind the SNP and in fourth place in the latest 2026 Holyrood poll). The Times informs its readers that they have a £1 million war chest and are going to “unleash the most sophisticated digital operation in Scottish political history.”
Huge flag, tiny font
However, such huge spending is being undermined by a rolling internal civil war with several Scottish Labour MPs briefing against Keir Starmer and advocating for the Prime Minister to be removed from Downing Street. Speaking to journalists in Glasgow, Anas Sarwar called on those briefing against the Prime Minister to go on the record, and branded their actions “idiotic”.
As Scottish Labour’s briefing war rumbles on, Anas Sarwar slams “idiotic” MPs and allies of the Prime Minister for anonymous moans to journalists. Interview by Bauer’s Alan Smith. pic.twitter.com/iaDjHJRcoN
— Andrew Learmonth (@andrewlearmonth) January 7, 2026
The plot goes back to the beginning of December when The Sunday Times rolled out their big guns for an exclusive, combining the talents of Aubrey Allegretti (chief political correspondent at The Times), John Boothman (Political Correspondent) and Daniel Sanderson (Scottish Political Editor) to produce this piece claiming “Scottish MPs may challenge Keir Starmer over election ‘slaughter’ fear.”
The quotes from the mystery MPs were incendiary.
The trio write that: “Sir Keir Starmer could face a leadership challenge early next year from Scottish MPs who fear the party will be “slaughtered” in the Holyrood elections in May. Senior party sources in Westminster said the prime minister was “very unpopular” with voters on the doorstep, jeopardising Labour’s opportunity to oust the Scottish National Party (SNP).”
They claim that “Scottish MPs are among the most fervent in pressing for him to be replaced” and quote three anonymous sources.
Number One MP said: “The situation is untenable. The question for those of us with elections next May is ‘is there time for a change’, or do we wait to be slaughtered? My preference is before May.”
Number Two MP said: “The SNP is badly disliked and eminently beatable. And if we’re not able to mount a proper attack on them, that’s a really worrying sign. My concern is not that Anas [Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader] can’t do that. It’s Keir that’s very unpopular on the doorstep.”
Number Three MP said: “We have everything to gain and little to lose by getting rid of Keir. With elections round the corner, we should be in contention for first place in the polls. Instead, we’re at risk of finishing in a far behind second, or staying stuck in third place.”
But back in December, the claims were refuted. Paul Hutcheon gave voice to the howls of rage in the Daily Record, quoting a ‘senior party figure’ who dismissed the idea of a contest ahead of the Holyrood election. Hutcheon writes: “A Scottish Labour MP has said claims Westminster colleagues are planning to topple Keir Starmer are “absolute and total bollocks”. The parliamentarian hit out over claims in The Times that the Prime Minister could face a leadership challenge from Scottish MPs in the New Year.”
The briefings – to both the Telegraph and The Times – are said to be from ‘the right of Scottish Labour’s Westminster group’. Some unhelpful souls have suggested that it doesn’t narrow the field. Speculation mounts around Ian Murray, who is disgruntled after being shelved for Douglas Alexander back in September.
Sarwar has acknowledged Starmer’s position and launched his campaign on Monday leaning-in to the idea of Starmer’s unpopularity. He told supporters: “I know the Prime Minister and the UK Labour government are not popular with the public right now. So I am not running to be Scotland’s First Minister in denial of that truth. I am running to be Scotland’s First Minister in defiance of it.”
But this is not New York and Sarwar is not Mamdani. In the fever-dream of the SLAB bubble, John Swinney may be Andrew Cuomo, but it doesn’t really fly. For a start, Sarwar doesn’t have the riz, and his campaign so far is devoid of positive policies. It’s based on (probably rightly) the idea that the SNP have been in power for too long and it’s time for a change. But it doesn’t have any substance beyond that. The idea that Scottish Labour are having ‘one million’ conversations with people on doorsteps is also laughable.
Campaigning against your own party, when the Great Labour Victory was heralded only a year ago, is a weird thing to do, and the Mamdani impersonation is a humiliating expose of just how threadbare and bankrupt the Labour Party is. Sarwar’s use of the saltire only really draws attention to the fact that he has no real distinct Scottish policies and Labour are still tied to their disastrous role in the Better Together campaign.
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MP 1? MP 2? MP 3? Suggests to me that these MPs are fictional. I’ve asked it before and I’ll repeat, why do we allow candidates that are not registered as a political party in Scotland to stand in our elections?
Why don’t these parties register as Scottish political parties? And why the hell does any Scottish person vote for them?
They’ve got a cheek trying to jump onto Mamdani’s coat-tails; the labour party have spent the past few years trying to expunge socialists from their ranks, so for them to now go “we’re like him” is bollocks.
Just so.
SLab has an image problem.
By eating itself alive over Starmer, would ditching the red thistle for Ouroboros not be an ideal rebranding?
It will be fun watching them eat themselves alive over Keir Starmer when the outcome of a rebel victory is likely to be… er… Wes Streeting! Morgan McSweeney would appear to be backing both horses. I wish him the same success as he had as Liz Kendall’s campaign manager. If they blow a £1 million warchest on this it will be money well spent. Popcorn!
If Anas Sarwar were my dentist I’d ask for a second opinion
Dear Anas – I am a former Labour voter in Scotland.
If you implement the following:
1) Separate Scottish Labour from UK Labour financially and organisationally.
2)Establish the right of Holyrood to hold an independence referendum without needing consent from Westminster.
3)Drop Scottish Labour Party opposition to independence leaving it to individual members to have their own opinion.
I will be prepared to review you other policies against other political parties in Scotland when deciding who to vote for at Holyrood election.
LINO in Scotland… doomed, doomed I say. bye bye & good riddance to the McSweeney-I-am-a-zionst party. & where LINO goes, so the tories & Bad-Enoch. Which leaves Deform & Fart-rage.. One hopes that the Scots have more sense than the English.
pathetic when a renowed human rights lawer who took on Ronald McDonalds for free and has a reputation for being a bit boring is slagged of by people who think an accountant who has a reputation for doing tax returns and is boring to the point of invisibility is up on the compo
I dont know how many times I’ve had the advert forced on my eyeballs. The impact of Mr Sarwar strolling down the street with a self superior smile on his face makes me certain I will never again vote for Westminster’s branch office. He was wearing a smile but his eyes betrayed his anxiety. He knows he won’t be “First Minister”
At the Holyrood election I doubt people are going to be storming polling stations with a great desire for yet more of exactly the same.
Number Two MP said:
“My concern is not that Anas [Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader] can’t do that. It’s Keich that’s very unpopular on the doorstep.”
(sorry)
If Labour change their UK leader. Then I think Alistair Carns would be a interesting leader of the Labour Party, if they have a leadership challenge. He was in the Royal Marines and has climbed Mount Everest. He is a decorated soldier with political skills. He would be an interesting candidate in these times of war and caution.