Scottish Labour at a crossroads again as Sarwar jumps ship
Anas Sarwar never hid his desire to hold high office.
It’s only been a few weeks since he nominated himself to Scottish voters to replace John Swinney as first minister.
This went spectacularly wrong. The SNP remained in power for a fifth consecutive term and Labor recorded its worst Holyrood result since devolution.
While the performance of the UK government under Sir Keir Starmer is most to blame, there is a lively debate in the party about Sarwar’s strategy.
Questions are also being asked of Scottish Labour’s campaign co-directors Jackie Baillie and Douglas Alexander.
Sarwar had said he would remain leader to steady the ship, but his quick exit contradicts that stance and is a source of controversy for some.
Even though Labor was able to beat the SNP in Scotland in the UK general election two years ago, there are those who see this as a reward for failure, given the Holyrood defeat.
Given that Sarwar was the first senior Labor figure to call for Starmer’s resignation, there are those who see this as a reward for betrayal; it was a move that undermined the then prime minister and ultimately benefited Andy Burnham.
