ANAS Sarwar has promised that his party will “lead the way” in delivering seats in Scotland to ensure a Labour majority at the next General Election during a Unionist rally in Edinburgh.
Speaking at the “Stronger Scotland, Better Britain” rally hosted by the Our Scottish Future think tank, Sarwar said that gaining enough seats in Scotland to deliver a Labour majority was a “commitment” of his party.
“I’m going to make you a promise and commitment tonight,” he said.
“There used to be a time when people thought that Scotland would hinder or stop or make us not achieve a UK-wide Labour government.
“I can promise you this: come the next General Election, Scotland’s going to lead the way and deliver that majority Labour government.”
He later added: “I don’t want anyone across Scotland to think that Labour is only interested in winning seats in Scotland because it helps UK Labour get over the line and deliver a UK Labour government, although that in itself is important.
“But Scottish Labour winning seats here in Scotland and winning the election across the UK means better for Scotland. It means a stronger Scotland in a better Britain.”
Gordon Brown also spoke at the event at the Central Hall in Edinburgh despite protesters from the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign denouncing his visit outside.
During his speech Brown attacked the SNP and said the speakers at the event were all committed to delivering change “in the next few years”.
“We’re a very small organisation, Our Scottish Future, but we have a chief executive that’s not under arrest.
“We’ve got a treasurer that is not helping police with their inquiries.
“Remember that slogan Free in 2023? That was the SNP slogan.
“Can you imagine posters now around the country. The face of Nicola Sturgeon [and] Free in 2023? Or the face of Peter Murrell, her husband.
“Because that’s the best they can hope for: keeping out of prison rather than taking Scotland out of Britain.”
Brown also weighed in on a the SNP organising an Independence Convention on the same day as a scheduled All Under One Banner march.
He said: “The problem with All Under One Banner – the leader of the SNP has refused to speak under this banner, the leader of the other independence party the Greens has refused to speak under this one banner.”
However, he mistakenly said the march was due to take place in Glasgow on June 25, when it is actually to be held in Stirling on the day before.
He added that the announcement of the Alliance for Radical Democratic Change would “start a campaign across the whole of the United Kingdom so that power and wealth and income in redistributed to people across the country.”
However, First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford struck a far more conciliatory tone and said that Labour’s success over Plaid Cymru in Wales was down to focusing on the “positive case” for a “solidarity United Kingdom.”
“I don’t believe in Wales that we have had the success we have had by regarding nationalism as something we can scare people with. You can’t scare people into support for the United Kingdom.
“Nor do I believe that we can defeat nationalism on a case that is about refusing people the choice that they may wish to make.
“Rather, I think the reason we defeat nationalism is with the positive case for a solidarity Union in the United Kingdom. I want people to be in the United Kingdom because they want to be in the United Kingdom.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin also spoke at the event.
Outside the venue independence supporter Charlie Campbell told The National what he thought about further promises about devolution from Gordon Brown.
“He’s got no credibility,” he said. “The man’s a proven liar, he’s a busted flush. It’s just more of the same.
“The man is a total degenerate. He’s got no principles. He’s a career politician and I have no respect for him.”
