ANAS Sarwar has been panned after his joke on Labour’s first six months in Government fell flat live on the BBC.
The Scottish Labour leader gave an interview to Good Morning Scotland on Tuesday, where he confirmed his party will abstain on the Scottish Budget, meaning the SNP should have the numbers to allow their plans to pass.
Sarwar was grilled on a range of issues, including a collapse in support for Labour since the General Election.
It comes after The National revealed Find Out Now polling suggested there will be a pro-Scottish independence majority after the next Holyrood election.
Host Laura Maxwell put it to Sarwar that the polls suggested people weren’t happy with Labour.
Sarwar replied: “Well as a former dentist, I am first to admit that there has been some teething problems over the early part of a Labour Government but they are clearing up an almighty mess left by the Tories.”
The Scottish Labour leader continually dodged a question on whether he had any “sway” over Keir Starmer given he disagrees with him on a number of policies, including cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment, keeping the two-child cap and the UK’s decision not to pay Waspi women any compensation.
Replying to Sarwar, Maxwell said: “You may joke about this, but there are an awful lot of people who are very upset, specifically the Waspi women who you campaigned with to get compensation and now they’re not being given compensation.”
Reacting to the comments on Twitter/X, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “Ruthless. Not the start to the year Anas Sarwar will have so desperately wanted. But very much the one Labour deserves.”
On his party’s decision to abstain on the Budget vote, Sarwar said his party would only vote on the plans if “this Budget lifts the two-child benefit cap” this year.
Ruthless. Not the start to the year Anas Sarwar will have so desperately wanted. But very much the one Labour deserves.#WASPI pic.twitter.com/8ClA9UnGAA
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) January 7, 2025
The SNP have said they will work with the UK Government, who have the data needed, in order to scrap the cap for Scots from 2025/26.
Sarwar was called out for his hypocrisy on this on Twitter/X, given that Scottish Labour MPs previously voted to keep the cap.
SNP MP and Flynn’s deputy at Westminster Pete Wishart said: “On GMS Anas Sarwar said he won’t vote for the Budget because it doesn’t go quickly enough on the two-child benefit cap.
“His MPs voted to continue the cap and none of them have called for it to be ended.”
Scotland’s Finance Secretary Shona Robison (above) commented: “Only a few months ago, Anas Sarwar’s Scottish Labour MPs were queuing up to keep the two-child cap in place – yet now he agrees it should be mitigated in Scotland as soon as possible.
"Mr Sarwar has said that Scotland needs change – but he seems to have reflected over the holidays and decided that it is he who needs to change.
“However, people in Scotland will never forgive the Labour party if it does not vote for the reintroduction of a Winter Fuel Payment and the ending of the two-child cap.
“Labour have gone from calling for a new direction to seemingly having no direction.”
