Anas Sarwar has said he continues to “stand by” his call for Sir Keir Starmer to resign.
In February, the Scottish Labour leader called on the Prime Minister to quit amid the row over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
Lord Mandelson was sacked last year, less than a year into the job, after details of his association with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein emerged in files published by the US government.
Speaking to the Press Association on Thursday, Mr Sarwar said: “I have said for a long time now that the Mandelson scandal was the tipping point for me for why I said what I said back in February. It’s something I stand by and don’t recoil from.
“But as far as this election campaign is concerned, I’m also really clear that a vote for me and Scottish Labour in this election is not an endorsement of Keir Starmer, and it won’t be used as an endorsement of Keir Starmer.
“It’s also not an election that’s about judging two years of a Labour Government. It’s about passing judgment on 20 years of an SNP Government, and this is not an election that’s about protest or without consequence.
“It’s about delivering change here in Scotland.
“If you want to reject the poison of Reform, if you want to beat the SNP and you want change here in Scotland, there’s only one route to that change – and that’s a vote for me and Scottish Labour on May 7.”
It emerged this week that Lord Mandelson was appointed to the US role despite failing vetting.
The Foreign Office has been blamed for clearing the peer in January 2025 to become ambassador.
Sir Keir has said he was “absolutely furious” and described the failure to inform him that Lord Mandelson had failed vetting as “staggering”.
Number 10 has been approached for comment.
