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| Anas Sarwar launches campaign to be next Scottish Labour leader | Anas Sarwar launches campaign to be next Scottish Labour leader |
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| Nicola Sturgeon has presided over unacceptable levels of poverty, Anas Sarwar has said at his Scottish Labour leadership campaign launch in the first minister’s Glasgow constituency. | Nicola Sturgeon has presided over unacceptable levels of poverty, Anas Sarwar has said at his Scottish Labour leadership campaign launch in the first minister’s Glasgow constituency. |
| Sarwar, the candidate with the largest support from Labour MPs and MSPs, insinuated he was the best-placed of the two candidates to defeat Sturgeon and her Scottish National party, and the best able to appeal to voters. | Sarwar, the candidate with the largest support from Labour MPs and MSPs, insinuated he was the best-placed of the two candidates to defeat Sturgeon and her Scottish National party, and the best able to appeal to voters. |
| Hinting that the supporters of his leftwing rival, Richard Leonard, were more concerned with tribalism than government, Sarwar also referred to the bitter disputes over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of UK Labour. He said the contest was a choice between being a party of power or of protest. | Hinting that the supporters of his leftwing rival, Richard Leonard, were more concerned with tribalism than government, Sarwar also referred to the bitter disputes over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of UK Labour. He said the contest was a choice between being a party of power or of protest. |
| Departing from the prepared text in a speech in the Gorbals, Sarwar implied that voting for his rival would mean Labour failing to win the next Holyrood election. | |
| “This contest is a choice. It’s a straight choice,” he said. “It’s a choice between focusing on the past or building a fairer future for all. It’s a choice between protesting about the ills of our country or ending inequality in power. It’s a choice about containing division or building unity in our party and our country.” | |
| “I make this promise: I’m not standing in this contest to be a Labour leader that just talks about creating opportunity, that just talks about ending poverty, that just talks about ending austerity. I want to deliver opportunity, fairness and equality and I want to deliver that opportunity, fairness and equality as a first minister of Scotland.” | |
| Sarwar said he was launching his campaign in Sturgeon’s Holyrood seat to symbolise his goal of defeating the SNP at the next Holyrood election. Her government had cut £400m from Glasgow council’s budget, and had failed to tackle the inequality that left half the seat’s children in poverty. | |
| “The reason why we are parking our tanks on the first minister’s lawn is because this contest is not just about electing the next leader of the Scottish Labour party, it’s about electing the next Labour first minister for Scotland,” he said. | |
| The contest was triggered by the surprise resignation late last month of Kezia Dugdale, who said she was drained by several years of election and referendum campaigning, and personal tragedies. | The contest was triggered by the surprise resignation late last month of Kezia Dugdale, who said she was drained by several years of election and referendum campaigning, and personal tragedies. |
| The campaigns have been given until 9 October to recruit new members at the full price of £48, or registered and affiliated supporters, who will be allowed to vote for a £12 fee. The result will be declared on 18 November. | The campaigns have been given until 9 October to recruit new members at the full price of £48, or registered and affiliated supporters, who will be allowed to vote for a £12 fee. The result will be declared on 18 November. |
| Although Scottish Labour has avoided the open conflict between centrists and leftwingers that wracked the UK party, this contest is now being coloured by factional disputes between leftwingers and moderates backing the rival contenders. | Although Scottish Labour has avoided the open conflict between centrists and leftwingers that wracked the UK party, this contest is now being coloured by factional disputes between leftwingers and moderates backing the rival contenders. |
| Leonard, a former political officer with the GMB trade union who is widely respected inside the party but little known outside, is backed by the pro-Corbyn Campaign for Socialism, and is expected to win support from the largest trade unions. Corbyn is not expected to formally back either candidate. | Leonard, a former political officer with the GMB trade union who is widely respected inside the party but little known outside, is backed by the pro-Corbyn Campaign for Socialism, and is expected to win support from the largest trade unions. Corbyn is not expected to formally back either candidate. |
| Relatively inexperienced in frontline politics, Leonard’s campaign is being launched on Saturday in Glasgow, where he is expected to call for greater public ownership of key industries, greater public spending on housing and infrastructure, and heavier spending on industrial investment. | Relatively inexperienced in frontline politics, Leonard’s campaign is being launched on Saturday in Glasgow, where he is expected to call for greater public ownership of key industries, greater public spending on housing and infrastructure, and heavier spending on industrial investment. |
| Leonard is expected to say that voter discontent with poverty and poor services is growing. “Twenty years since the devolution referendum, we have every right to be angry,” he will say. “No wonder people are discontented. They are hungry for change. But the change they crave will find no answer in nationalism or patriotism, Scottish or British, and every answer in socialism and democracy.” | Leonard is expected to say that voter discontent with poverty and poor services is growing. “Twenty years since the devolution referendum, we have every right to be angry,” he will say. “No wonder people are discontented. They are hungry for change. But the change they crave will find no answer in nationalism or patriotism, Scottish or British, and every answer in socialism and democracy.” |
| Sarwar had been making successful overtures to Corbyn supporters before Dugdale’s resignation, hosting a large rally for Corbyn at Glasgow central mosque last month. In a clear appeal to leftwing party members, he described himself at his campaign launch as a champion of “radical democratic socialism”. | Sarwar had been making successful overtures to Corbyn supporters before Dugdale’s resignation, hosting a large rally for Corbyn at Glasgow central mosque last month. In a clear appeal to leftwing party members, he described himself at his campaign launch as a champion of “radical democratic socialism”. |
| Leonard’s supporters have accused Sarwar, a former deputy leader of Scottish Labour, of insincerity, and argue that his rhetoric will lack credibility with party activists because of his wealth and lifestyle. | Leonard’s supporters have accused Sarwar, a former deputy leader of Scottish Labour, of insincerity, and argue that his rhetoric will lack credibility with party activists because of his wealth and lifestyle. |
| The son of the millionaire cash-and-carry founder Mohammed Sarwar, who became the UK’s first Muslim MP in 1997, Sarwar was privately educated and sends his own children to the same fee-paying school in Glasgow. He also owns shares in the family firm, United Wholesale (Scotland) Ltd, which has been criticised in press reports for not paying the “real living wage” of £8.45 an hour. | The son of the millionaire cash-and-carry founder Mohammed Sarwar, who became the UK’s first Muslim MP in 1997, Sarwar was privately educated and sends his own children to the same fee-paying school in Glasgow. He also owns shares in the family firm, United Wholesale (Scotland) Ltd, which has been criticised in press reports for not paying the “real living wage” of £8.45 an hour. |
| Although Sarwar is a Unite union member, the Herald reported on Friday that UWS had refused to confirm whether its employees were union members. It quoted the SNP as saying the firm’s silence was untenable. Sarwar campaign sources say some UWS employees are members of the shop workers’ union Usdaw, but Usdaw has not yet sought formal union recognition at the company. | Although Sarwar is a Unite union member, the Herald reported on Friday that UWS had refused to confirm whether its employees were union members. It quoted the SNP as saying the firm’s silence was untenable. Sarwar campaign sources say some UWS employees are members of the shop workers’ union Usdaw, but Usdaw has not yet sought formal union recognition at the company. |
| Party sources say there was also a clash at the party’s Scottish executive committee meeting last weekend where the contest’s rules were agreed. | Party sources say there was also a clash at the party’s Scottish executive committee meeting last weekend where the contest’s rules were agreed. |
| Lesley Laird, a pro-Corbyn MP who became shadow Scottish secretary after winning a seat at the general election in June, protested that Ian Murray, a fierce critic of Corbyn and a former shadow Scottish secretary, was at the committee meeting. Murray was there as chairman of the Scottish MPs’ group at Westminster. | Lesley Laird, a pro-Corbyn MP who became shadow Scottish secretary after winning a seat at the general election in June, protested that Ian Murray, a fierce critic of Corbyn and a former shadow Scottish secretary, was at the committee meeting. Murray was there as chairman of the Scottish MPs’ group at Westminster. |