Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has revealed he doubled down on his demand for Keir Starmer to quit when the two men spoke on the phone afterwards.
Mr Sarwar joked today he had taken the ‘nuclear option’ by calling for Sir Keir to go on Monday, 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.
Today he told a press conference the two men spoke yesterday, saying it was a ‘a perfectly fair and reasonable conversation’ about the Holyrood election on May 7.
‘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,’ he said.
‘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.
Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh on Friday, Mr Sarwar joked he had taken the ‘nuclear option’ by calling for Sir Keir to go on Monday
The attempt to oust Sir Keir failed, with members of the Cabinet publicly backing the PM (pictured today in Munich) in the hours after Mr Sarwar’s statement
‘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.’
Mr Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to call for Sir Keir to go, citing concern that the ‘distraction’ from Downing Street would harm his party’s chances of unseating the SNP in May’s Holyrood elections.
Just a few days previously he had backed the under-fire PM to still be in post when the vote takes place.
But, at a press conference in Glasgow at the start of the week he declared there have been ‘too many mistakes’ in Downing Street.
The Scottish Labour leader told journalists: ‘There is probably no one in Scottish politics that’s had a better relationship with Keir Starmer or a closer friendship with Keir Starmer than I have.
‘He is someone that I have campaigned alongside, worked alongside for the last five years in my role as leader, someone that I campaigned ferociously for to make sure we could get rid of a Tory government, and someone who I have supported in the last 18 months.
‘So does this cause me personal hurt and pain? Of course, it does.’
While he said the Prime Minister was ‘someone that I regard as a friend’ he insisted his ‘first loyalty has to be to my country, Scotland’.
Despite the chaotic start to the week, Mr Sarwar stressed today that Labour in Scotland is ‘100 per cent 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 said: ‘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.’
