Anas Sarwar says Starmer can campaign in Scotland after calling for him to quit

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Severin Carrell Scotland editorFebruary 11, 2026 at 06:59 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar initially called for UK Labour leader Keir Starmer to resign and stated he wasn't welcome to campaign in Scotland for the upcoming Holyrood elections in May. Sarwar cited the UK government's unpopularity and policy failures as reasons. However, Sarwar has now reversed his position, saying Starmer and other UK ministers are welcome to campaign in Scotland if they demonstrate how the UK government is improving lives there. This shift comes despite limited support for Sarwar's initial stance from Labour MPs and ministers. Starmer's political future may depend on Labour's performance in Scotland. Downing Street confirmed Starmer will campaign alongside Sarwar despite the prior disagreement.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Downing Street 30% Plaid Cymru 35% London 40% Scottish National Party 55% Holyrood ×260% John Swinney 60% UK government ×265% Scottish Labour ×270% Scotland ×580% Keir Starmer ×785% Anas Sarwar ×990%

Keywords

anas sarwar 90% scottish labour 90% keir starmer 80% scottish elections 80% political campaign 70% labour leader 70% uk government 60% first minister 60% john swinney 50%