Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has publicly called for Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister in a press conference in Glasgow this afternoon.
Sarwar said that the people of Scotland are “crying out for competent government, for transparency, for honesty, and for delivery. They want to see politics that are open and accountable.”
“They promised they were going to be different, but too much has happened… it cannot continue.”
Sarwar told the press conference that “Scots are crying out for decent government.”
The move follows a weekend of political turmoil in Downing Street that has seen the Prime Minister’s authority evaporate.
This has included the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and the lauded strategist of Labour’s 2024 election victory.
McSweeney accepted “full responsibility” for advising the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States, despite knowing of his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The crisis deepened this morning with the departure of Tim Allan, the newly appointed Director of Communications.
At the heart of the crisis is the Prime Minister’s judgment regarding Peter Mandelson. Despite Mandelson’s dismissal from the ambassadorial post in late 2025, recent disclosures have highlighted the depth of his historical association with Jeffrey Epstein—a revelation that has sparked a police investigation into alleged misconduct in public office and left Starmer’s promise of a more transparent and stable politics in question.
For Anas Sarwar, the decision to break with London is a matter of electoral survival. With Scottish Parliament elections in May, new polling shows Scottish Labour has fallen to third place, trailing behind both the Scottish National Party (SNP) and a surging Reform UK, with the Greens recently gaining popularity.
Sarwar refused to endorse a Westminster leadership candidate, citing his foremost loyalty to Scotland.
While Downing Street has told journalists that the Prime Minister is “concentrating on the job in hand” and is “upbeat,” the loss of his most powerful regional ally may prove fatal.
A third-year student, reacted with disappointment at what felt like perpetual scandal: “I’m not a fan of this way of doing politics… sensationalising everything that happens for factional gains.”
“The Tories would have gotten away from this, and it’s a distraction from the policies that really matter like the cost-of living, housing, and education.”
Another student felt that “it’s dangerous to call for a leadership contest in the months running up to the Holyrood elections.
“However, it could be good to show that Scottish labour are willing to go against Westminster, especially for indy voters who are on the fence.”
“Anas Sarwar” by Scottish Labour is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.