Scotland faces a simple choice in 2026: Swinney or me, says Sarwar
The Scottish Labour leader accused the First Minister of wanting to ‘defraud’ the people of Scotland during a speech in Glasgow.
Anas Sarwar has said that Scots face a simple choice at the 2026 Holyrood election: him or John Swinney.
The Scottish Labour leader accused the First Minister of wanting to “defraud” the people of Scotland and use Nigel Farage as a distraction from what he described as his failings in government.
Mr Sarwar also said that he would not be Sir Keir Starmer 2.0 if he won the next national ballot in Scotland.
Responding to a question from the PA news agency in Glasgow, he declared he would be “Anas Sarwar 1.0”.
He said that his party represented change and a new direction for the country, echoing the message of Labour’s UK general election campaign.
Asked if he would be Sir Keir 2.0 for Scotland, Mr Sarwar said: “I’ll be Anas Sarwar 1.0 and I’ll be change from John Swinney and the SNP.
“The reality is, you referenced the slogans or strap lines, we fought in a campaign of change last year and we elected 37 brilliant Scottish Labour MPs.
“We are going to deliver change next at the Scottish Parliament elections and elect a whole host of new Scottish Labour MSPs, many of those fantastic candidates sitting either side of me, because we’re ultimately determined to use the great power of government to improve people’s lives.
“And that’s why, again, and I’ll end at this point – next year it’s a straight choice: John Swinney or me, the SNP or Scottish Labour, the NHS in decline with them or fixed with Labour.
“Our education standards in decline with them or a new direction for our young people with me.
“Safety and security on our streets with us or a continuation of people feeling unsafe, not able to see a police officer with the SNP.
“An addiction to wasting people’s money, billions of pounds lost with the SNP, or respect of public money with me – that’s the choice.
“That’s the choice, that’s the frame of the election next year, and we’re going to win that election when people of Scotland.”
During his speech, Mr Sarwar said the SNP had run “out of ideas” and that Scots faced a third decade with the party in power or a new direction with Labour.
He warned that the 2026 Holyrood election would be the “most consequential in the history of devolution”.
Labour’s popularity has dipped, according to polling, since its landslide victory in July.
It lost more than 180 councillors in last week’s local elections in England and lost an MP to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which also won two mayoral seats.
The First Minister has issued warnings about the rise of Reform UK, which he said he considered far right.
Last week, he said it was a “real possibility” that Mr Farage could become the prime minister of the UK.
Mr Sarwar accused Mr Swinney of using the Reform leader as a “bogeyman” to distract from his record.
He told the crowd in Glasgow: “Instead of dealing with its own failures, John Swinney will recklessly talk up Nigel Farage.
“Farage is John Swinney’s new power to replace the Tories but, the truth is, I don’t care about Nigel Farage, and Nigel Farage doesn’t care about Scotland.”
He added: “John Swinney will talk about anything apart from his record.
“Well, I want to deliver for the people of Scotland and with his shameful tactics, John wants to defraud the people of Scotland, but the people of Scotland know better.”
Commenting after the speech, an SNP spokesperson said: “Anas Sarwar will be whatever Keir Starmer tells him to be.”
