ANAS Sarwar has been accused of being left “irritated” as he was grilled on Scottish independence during an interview on Wednesday morning.
The Scottish Labour leader was speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland where he was asked about a range of topics, including GB Energy and gender reform.
However, he was also pressed on what a Labour government would offer people in Scotland and why people who voted SNP in 2015, 2017 and 2019 should give their vote to Scottish Labour.
“I think there’s a few different parts to it. I think one of the ways that this is often talked about is somehow as if Scotland’s just one big tactical voting bloc,” Sarwar said.
Host Laura Maxwell then told Sarwar to lay out his long-term offer to people who were offering Scottish Labour their vote.
He replied: “Change. Because they’re frustrated with the economy, the economy doesn’t work for them.
“They're frustrated with a lot of the working conditions including people in high levels of in-work poverty. That’s why we want to deliver a new deal for workers.”
Sarwar was then pressed that the “change” people might want to see is the opportunity to discuss a second independence referendum.
Asked if he would be willing to engage in any kind of deal with voters to discuss this, Sarwar said: “I think it’s important to recognise that of course there will be those that are driven purely by the desire of independence and the identity of that independence.”
Pressed once again on why he would not give any idea as to how this might be achieved, the Scottish Labour leader continued: “Lots of people have been driven by independence or driven to the SNP or the cause of independence because they wanted to run a million miles away from a rotten Tory government that’s done so much damage to the country.”
Sarwar (below) was once again specifically asked on what exactly it was he was offering on the prospect of a second referendum.
He replied: “Many of them are not driven purely by the independence questions. I think it misunderstands people’s genuine anger and frustration with a system they feel is rigged against them.
“And after 14 years of the Tories we finally have a chance to remove them from office. And we may ultimately disagree on the final destination for Scotland but we can all agree we need to get rid of the Tories right now so let’s go on this part of the journey together on July 4, make sure we get rid of the Tories, put Scotland at the heart of a Labour government and deliver the change our country needs.”
Reacting to the interview on Twitter/X, the SNP candidate for Perth and Kinross-shire Pete Wishart said: “Anas Sarwar really irritated in being asked what he’s going to do for indy supporters who might vote for Labour.
“Apparently he’s suggesting indy is not what they really want and claims he ‘understands’ those indy supporters more than those indy supporters themselves…”
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Show last week, Sarwar also refused to answer what the route could be for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom.
