The SNP’s Westminster leader has criticised the “squabbling” and “political infighting” in the UK Government – with Stephen Flynn likening prospective candidates vying to succeed Sir Keir Starmer to “auditions for Labour Party Celebrity Traitors”.
The SNP MP said however that with families across the UK coming under “real pressure” in the cost-of-living crisis it was “unforgivable” for Labour to be “completely distracted by political infighting”.
Mr Flynn spoke out amid speculation that poor election results for Labour this week could see the Prime Minister, who has already come under severe pressure over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US, forced out of Downing Street.
Polls indicate Labour could do badly in Thursday’s Holyrood elections, and could also lose control of the Senedd in Wales for the first time in the history of devolution.
English council elections on the same day could see further bad results for the party.
In the midst of this, reports have suggested Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has a plan to return to Westminster “within weeks” and wants to challenge the Prime Minister.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, is also said to be considering a move, while there is also speculation about former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Sir Keir has urged his party not to repeat the Conservatives’ mistake of “descending into political infighting”.
But Mr Flynn said that at a time when “people are desperately worried about their finances and jobs” there were Labour politicians who “only seem to care about furthering their own careers, in a pathetic game of Westminster musical chairs”.
The SNP MP, who himself is running for Holyrood on Thursday, added: “At a time when families are under real pressure, it is unforgivable that the Labour Party Government is doing nothing to help and is, instead, completely distracted by political infighting .”
Speaking ahead of those elections Mr Flynn predicted: “Voters will punish the Labour Party for imposing chaos, and squabbling over who gets to be the next party leader, instead of helping families with the cost-of-living emergency.
“Voters were promised change but Keir Starmer has only delivered chaos and Brexit Britain is more broken than ever before.
“Under the Labour Party, energy bills are £400 higher than promised, food and fuel prices are through the roof, unemployment is at a five-year high and families are struggling to get by.”
While he claimed the SNP Government at Holyrood was “laser-focused on helping families with the strongest cost-of-living support anywhere in the UK” Mr Flynn said: “The Labour Party is only focused on itself and its bitter civil war.
“People aren’t interested in Wes Streeting or Angela Rayner’s latest auditions for Labour Party Celebrity Traitors – they want a government that is fully-focused on helping families with sky-high bills.”
He called on voters in Scotland to “punish the Labour Party Government and show Keir Starmer the door by voting SNP for action on the cost of living and a fresh start with independence”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for Sir Keir to quit in February, and has made clear throughout the Holyrood election campaign that a vote for his party should not be seen as an endorsement of the Prime Minister.
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