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| Sarwar accuses Swinney of 'dishonest' by-election campaign | Sarwar accuses Swinney of 'dishonest' by-election campaign |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Anas Sarwar said the SNP campaign was an attempt to push voters to Reform UK | Anas Sarwar said the SNP campaign was an attempt to push voters to Reform UK |
| Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has accused John Swinney of running a "dishonest and disgraceful" campaign ahead of last week's Holyrood by-election. | |
| Sarwar claimed the SNP were pushing voters to Reform UK through their tactics, which he described as "shameful" on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show programme. | Sarwar claimed the SNP were pushing voters to Reform UK through their tactics, which he described as "shameful" on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show programme. |
| But Swinney justified his "two-horse race" remark by saying Labour's vote share had "collapsed" in the by-election and that his party's own data showed a surge for Reform. | But Swinney justified his "two-horse race" remark by saying Labour's vote share had "collapsed" in the by-election and that his party's own data showed a surge for Reform. |
| Scottish Labour won an unexpected victory in Thursday's by-election as Davy Russell took the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat. | Scottish Labour won an unexpected victory in Thursday's by-election as Davy Russell took the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat. |
| The first minister also told the programme he would consider a reshuffle of his cabinet "in due course" following the defeat, which saw the SNP lose a seat previously held by the late Christina McKelvie. | The first minister also told the programme he would consider a reshuffle of his cabinet "in due course" following the defeat, which saw the SNP lose a seat previously held by the late Christina McKelvie. |
| In the run-up to the contest Swinney declared it a "two-horse race" between his party and Nigel Farage's Reform UK. | In the run-up to the contest Swinney declared it a "two-horse race" between his party and Nigel Farage's Reform UK. |
| In a combative interview with presenter Martin Geissler, Sarwar said: "The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse sent a message to John Swinney that he ran a dishonest and disgraceful campaign that attempted to push people into the arms of Reform, rather than confront the issues that he has caused in communities across Scotland." | In a combative interview with presenter Martin Geissler, Sarwar said: "The people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse sent a message to John Swinney that he ran a dishonest and disgraceful campaign that attempted to push people into the arms of Reform, rather than confront the issues that he has caused in communities across Scotland." |
| Sarwar also said the SNP campaign, in support of candidate Katy Loudon, showed a lack of ambition and was "running down the clock" on its time in government rather than offering policies that would benefit people. | Sarwar also said the SNP campaign, in support of candidate Katy Loudon, showed a lack of ambition and was "running down the clock" on its time in government rather than offering policies that would benefit people. |
| He added the first minister had "no idea about what's affecting the day to day lives of people in Scotland, which is a disgrace." | He added the first minister had "no idea about what's affecting the day to day lives of people in Scotland, which is a disgrace." |
| Sarwar accuses Swinney of 'dishonest' by-election campaign | Sarwar accuses Swinney of 'dishonest' by-election campaign |
| Davy Russell won the seat for Labour with 8,559 votes, a majority of 602 over the second-placed SNP. | Davy Russell won the seat for Labour with 8,559 votes, a majority of 602 over the second-placed SNP. |
| Christina McKelvie, who died in March from secondary breast cancer, had held the seat since 2011. | Christina McKelvie, who died in March from secondary breast cancer, had held the seat since 2011. |
| Reform UK finished third with 7,088 votes, following a campaign that attracted criticism for a controversial advert that claimed Sarwar would prioritise people from Asian backgrounds. | Reform UK finished third with 7,088 votes, following a campaign that attracted criticism for a controversial advert that claimed Sarwar would prioritise people from Asian backgrounds. |
| The party's deputy leader Richard Tice said the result was a "massive boost" going into the May 2026 vote. | The party's deputy leader Richard Tice said the result was a "massive boost" going into the May 2026 vote. |
| Meanwhile, Sarwar urged Sir Keir Starmer's government to move faster with delivering change that would put extra money in people's pockets. | Meanwhile, Sarwar urged Sir Keir Starmer's government to move faster with delivering change that would put extra money in people's pockets. |
| He also attacked media pundits for being "obsessed with a Labour government" in Westminster. | He also attacked media pundits for being "obsessed with a Labour government" in Westminster. |
| The first minister said the SNP was still recovering from a difficult 2024 | The first minister said the SNP was still recovering from a difficult 2024 |
| Swinney later denied his "two horse race" comment was an attempt to eat into Labour's vote by spotlighting Reform. | Swinney later denied his "two horse race" comment was an attempt to eat into Labour's vote by spotlighting Reform. |
| The first minister told the programme he had been "standing up to Farage for months" and this had been crystallised during the by-election campaign. | The first minister told the programme he had been "standing up to Farage for months" and this had been crystallised during the by-election campaign. |
| Swinney also told the programme he believed Reform voters were motivated by anger at the cost of living. | Swinney also told the programme he believed Reform voters were motivated by anger at the cost of living. |
| When asked about the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle, the first minister replied: "I've got a cabinet minister coming back from maternity leave in Mairi McAllan, so I have to look at the team. I'll be doing that in due course." | When asked about the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle, the first minister replied: "I've got a cabinet minister coming back from maternity leave in Mairi McAllan, so I have to look at the team. I'll be doing that in due course." |
| He added that his party were still in "the process of recovery" after he was sworn in as first minister last May with the SNP facing "significant difficulties" at the time. | He added that his party were still in "the process of recovery" after he was sworn in as first minister last May with the SNP facing "significant difficulties" at the time. |
| Swinney also said he would focus on improving public services - such as cutting waiting times for GPs - and mitigating the cost of living crisis before the 2026 Holyrood election. | Swinney also said he would focus on improving public services - such as cutting waiting times for GPs - and mitigating the cost of living crisis before the 2026 Holyrood election. |