I did not step back from urging Starmer to quit in call with him – Sarwar
The Scottish Labour leader said he spoke to the Prime Minister on the phone on Thursday.
Anas Sarwar “didn’t step back” from his calls for the Prime Minister to quit in a conversation between the two men on Thursday, the Scottish Labour leader has said.
Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh on Friday, Mr Sarwar joked he had taken the “nuclear option” by calling for Sir Keir Starmer to go, adding the pair spoke by phone on Thursday.
Mr Sarwar had said on Monday that the Prime Minister should quit in the wake of the scandal around the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
But the attempt to oust Sir Keir failed, with members of the Cabinet publicly backing the PM in the hours after Mr Sarwar’s statement.
Speaking on Friday about his phone call with Sir Keir, Mr Sarwar said: “It was a perfectly fair and reasonable conversation about how we make sure that we are focused on the election on May 7.
“He’s determined that he wants to deliver for the people of Scotland.
“I made very clear that I want a UK Labour Government demonstrating it’s delivering for Scotland, and I made clear that the choice in the election campaign is going to be between me and (First Minister) John Swinney.
“I didn’t step back from what I said, I stand by what I said and what I stated, but I’m looking to the future and the choice between me and John Swinney for this country.”
The event also saw Mr Sarwar restate his party’s support for nuclear energy, joking he had taken the “nuclear option” twice in the same week.
He added he felt “liberated” after calling for the Prime Minister to quit.
“Honesty is strength, not weakness,” he said when asked if he felt stronger in his position after Monday’s statement.
“We have seen dishonesty from this SNP Government time and time again.
“I feel liberated and energised for the election campaign ahead, because, for me, my first loyalty and my first priority is to my country, Scotland.”
Despite the chaotic start to the week, Mr Sarwar stressed Labour in Scotland is “100% united”.
He also backed Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander in his role as co-chair of the party’s campaign north of the border, despite supporting the Prime Minister on Monday.
“Douglas Alexander was appointed Secretary of State by Keir Starmer, he was appointed co-chair of the campaign by me, and I see no issue at all in terms of the role he’ll play in that campaign, because every Scottish Labour MP is going to be involved in that campaign to make sure we elect a Scottish Labour government,” Mr Sarwar said.
A Downing Street spokesman told the Press Association: “As the Prime Minister has said, the whole of the Labour Party wants Anas Sarwar to become first minister and will fight for a Labour government in Scotland.”
A spokesman for the SNP, however, said Mr Sarwar was “all bark and no bite”.
He added: “He’s been patted on the head and put back in his box by his boss Keir Starmer.
“Branch office manager Anas Sarwar marched into his big press conference on Monday thinking he was Brutus, he ends the week looking more like Mr Bean.
“People don’t forget that Anas Sarwar was the man who promised us that Keir Starmer was the right man to deliver ‘change’- instead all the Labour Party have delivered is chaos.
“Why would anyone in Scotland trust the word or the judgment of Anas Sarwar ever again?
“Instead, it’s Scotland’s people who are patiently waiting to deliver their judgment on the Labour Party’s broken promises come the Holyrood election in May.”
Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton accused Mr Sarwar of self-indulgence, adding: “His scandal-ridden party are too distracted by civil war to stand up to an SNP government that has failed Scotland for two decades.”
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