Anas Sarwar 'feeling liberated' after Keir Starmer quit call
The Scottish Labour leader said his party was ‘100 per cent unified’
The leader of Scottish Labour has spoken of feeling "liberated" after he called on Keir Starmer to quit Downing Street.
Anas Sarwar insisted "honesty is strength, not weakness" as he faced questions about his bombshell intervention on Monday.
He revealed he had a "fair and reasonable" private conversation with the Prime Minister on Thursday, but did not step back from his view.
Mr Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to call on Sir Keir to quit amid the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal.
He said there had been "far too many mistakes" by Downing Street and things had to change.
It was initially thought the intervention may spark a leadership challenge, but senior figures and Cabinet ministers quickly rallied round Sir Keir. Meanwhile, very few Scottish Labour MPs have publicly backed Mr Sarwar’s decision.
Asked if he now felt stronger or weaker and more isolated, Mr Sarwar told journalists in Edinburgh: "What I would say is honesty is strength, not weakness."
He added: "I feel liberated and energised for the election campaign ahead, because for me, my first loyalty and my first priority is to my country, Scotland."
Asked if he had spoken to Sir Keir since he called on him to quit, he said: "Yes. It was a perfectly fair and reasonable conversation about how we make sure that we are focused on the election on May 7.
"He's determined that he wants to deliver for the people of Scotland. I've been very clear that I want a UK Labour government demonstrating that it's delivering for Scotland, and I made clear that the choice in the election campaign is going to be between me and [First Minister and SNP leader] John Swinney.
"I didn't step back from what I said. I stand by what I said and what I stated, but I'm looking to the future and the choice between me and John Swinney."
Mr Sarwar said his party was “100 per cent unified, 100 per cent hungry, 100 per cent energised and 100 per cent determined to win this election on May 7”.
He added: “We all know we are in the fight of our lives, but it’s a fight we believe that we can and that we will win. So let me just be really, really clear about this so no one has any doubt.
“This is an election that I intend to win. This is an election that Scottish Labour believes it will win.”
Scottish Labour is suffering in the polls due to the unpopularity of the UK Labour government.
Mr Sarwar previously denied his dramatic intervention was part of wider attempt to force Sir Keir to resign, telling journalists: “This was my decision and my decision alone.”
And in comments opponents labelled "farcical", he said he would be open to campaigning alongside the Prime Minister ahead of the Holyrood election in May.
"The Prime Minister, and other ministers, of course, if they want to come to Scotland and demonstrate that they are delivering for Scotland by being a UK Labour government, that is welcome," he said.
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