ANDREW Marr has suggested that John Swinney isn’t a “grown up First Minister”.
The veteran broadcaster made the claim at the end of a talk with Anas Sarwar at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
He said to an audience of Labour members, staff and the press: “Wouldn't it be great to imagine Scotland with a proper, grown up First Minister?”
Swinney took over from Humza Yousaf leader as leader of the SNP and Scotland's First Minister in May this year.
An SNP source told The National that “we don’t need to imagine”.
The event on Tuesday night organised by Scottish Fabians came just after Keir Starmer’s first major speech since becoming Prime Minister.
Anas Sarwar also spoke to conference on Monday, saying that Labour’s revival is “only half written” as he set his sights on 2026.
Claiming that Scotland had been “stuck” with two “incompetent” governments, Sarwar said that Labour’s victory in July’s general election had removed the Tories from power.
But, as he hit out at “two decades of SNP failure” north of the border, he said Scottish Labour would “finish the job” and oust them from power in Holyrood at the next election.
“That’s the next stage of change for Scotland,” Sarwar told the Labour Party conference.
Addressing the UK-wide gathering in Liverpool, Sarwar said: “The story of Labour’s revival is only half-written.”
He told party supporters: “For lots of you, there was only one incompetent government to get rid of.
“But in Scotland we were stuck with two.
“So, at the general election, we got rid of one incompetent government.
“And, in 2026, we finish the job and get rid of the other one.”
Arguing that “fresh leadership” was needed, he insisted that “all the SNP offers is internal division and outward incompetence”, accusing them of having the “same tired people in power peddling the same old excuses”.
SNP MSP Kevin Stewart, meanwhile, claimed Sarwar’s speech was a “textbook example of putting party before people”.
Stewart said: “Instead of standing up for Scotland against policies like the two-child cap, and Labour’s cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, he spent 10 minutes placating his Westminster bosses with empty words and meaningless slogans.”
He added: “Anas Sarwar is content to defend the indefensible, whether that be the two-child cap that is pushing 87,000 children into poverty or the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Payment from 860,000 Scottish pensioners.
“Ian Murray and Anas Sarwar should also be explaining where the £150 million poverty fund they promised has gone.”
