Why Anas Sarwar thinks ‘underdogs’ Labour can win Scottish elections
The Scottish Labour leader called out the ‘race-bating’ of Nigel Farage’s party, and while accepting his party were “underdogs”, claimed he could defy the polls on May 7
Anas Sarwar has branded Reform ‘Tories in disguise’ and insisted he can win May’s Holyrood election.
The Scottish Labour leader called out the ” race-bating ” of Nigel Farage’s party, and while accepting his party were “underdogs”, claimed he could defy the polls on May 7.
It came as polling guru Sir John Curtice claimed “no politicians” were popular at the moment, and polls showed Labour faced an uphill battle to dethrone the SNP in Scotland.
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Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Sarwar said: “I accept that we go into the election as underdogs, but this is an election I believe that Labour can win and the reason why I think this election Labour could win is the SNP has been in power for almost 20 years.
“I’m confident over the four weeks left of the election campaign, more and more focus will be on Scotland’s NHS, our schools, our justice system, our housing system, our local councils, local authorities, what we do with Scottish taxes, and I think the more that focus goes on in this election campaign, the weaker the chances for the SNP and the stronger chances for us.”
Mr Sarwar also attacked Reform UK, who recently sparked fury after suggesting they could rerun an attack ad that claimed Mr Sarwar would “prioritise the Pakistani community” in Scotland.
He said: “The great thing about Scotland is that Scots don’t look at politicians like Reform or the message of Reform that is one of trying to bring race baiting into our politics and think these people are our saviours.
“Scots see right through them, because Scottish Reform leader Lord Malcolm Offord is the same guy that was the advisor to Ian Duncan Smith, the cheerleader for Margaret Thatcher, who worked in the governments of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, and now wants to pretend he’s the great champion of working class communities. In effect, it’s the same people that screwed the country that want the opportunity to do it again, It’s the Tories in disguise, same team, different badge.”
Mr Sarwar had called for the PM to stand down earlier this year over the Peter Mandelson scandal, a decision he insisted he stood by. He said: “I don’t recoil from it, but as I said at the time, I’m not going to be a day-to-day commentator on the occupant of Downing Street. I’m going to spend all my time and all my energy trying to change the occupant at Bute House and change the first Minister because that’s what’s going to impact most people’s lives.”
Mr Sarwar was speaking shortly before YouGov’s first full MRP poll of the Scottish election campaign showed the SNP on track for a fifth term in power at Edinburgh, with Labour and the Tories facing “historic losses”.
Discussing polling, Mr Curtice told this paper it would be a big ask for Mr Sarwar to become First Minister.
He said: “It’s extremely unlikely. Labour’s support in Scotland has essentially fallen away since its undoubted success in the Westminster election of 2024. In this world of fragmented politics, there are no popular politicians, even John Swinney, the SNP leader, his net rating is negative. It’s just that it’s now minus five minus ten, which is not very negative by today’s standards.
“What you have to remember in this world of fragmented politics, there are no popular politicians, even John Swinney, the SNP leader, his net rating is negative. It’s just that it’s now minus five, minus ten, which is not very negative. By today’s standards that’s pretty good.”
Elsewhere, former Scotland Secretary Ian Murray dismissed the threat of Reform, and backed Mr Sarwar to become First Minister.
The Edinburgh South MP said: “Their campaign is absolutely falling apart and we’ve seen that in recent polling as well. They’ve had candidates resigning within 24 hours of being selected. They have a leader in Scotland who nobody knows, they will not apologise for the racist attacks on Anas Sarwar during the Hamilton by-election last year. So I think the campaign is falling apart.”
