KEIR Starmer took aim at the SNP as he and members of his party took to the stage in Rutherglen to celebrate their by-election victory.
Michael Shanks was named as Scotland’s newest MP after beating the SNP’s candidate Katy Loudon by 17,845 votes to 8399.
The Labour leader took to the stage in Rutherglen alongside Shanks (below), Anas Sarwar, Jackie Baillie and Ian Murray on Friday morning following the victory.
Starmer declared the Labour Party the “party of change here in Scotland, the party of change in Britain, the party of change right across the whole country”.
He labelled the Tory conference a “circus” before taking aim at the SNP, adding: “As for the SNP, this isn’t about just a few months of turmoil in the SNP, it is about years and years of non-delivery and that is why we are the party of change.
“This is a first step on a very, very important journey for all of us in Scotland, for all of us in the United Kingdom.
“We get the chance now to lay out our positive case for change when we go to our conference in Liverpool.
“That’s what we will be doing, setting out the changes we want to see in this country. Because we have changed, we can answer the question ‘why Labour?’
“Because we have changed we are hungry for power, and we are ready to serve across Scotland and across the United Kingdom.”
He also told the BBC that Labour were a "united front" despite his new MP disagreeing with him on multiple fronts including the two-child benefit cap and gender reform.
Sarwar meanwhile said voters in Rutherglen and Hamilton West had sent a message to two “failing” governments.
“We want an end to the incompetence and chaos, to the division, and instead we want a fresh start for Scotland and change for every part of our community,” he said.
The Scottish Labour leader added: “Scotland will lead the way in delivering a UK Labour government.”
