Labour ‘ready to deliver’ while SNP and Reform ‘mired in scandal’, says Sarwar

Scottish Labour is “ready to deliver” for voters, Anas Sarwar has said as he claimed his rivals in the Holyrood election are already “mired in scandal”.

Mr Sarwar hit out at both the SNP and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, whose Scottish leader Malcom Offord has complained about being the victim of “fake outrage” after comments he admits were “probably” homophobic he made at a rugby club dinner in 2018 came to light.

The SNP meanwhile is facing accusations it “ignored” or “downplayed” the actions of Jordan Linden, a former council leader who was this week convicted of five sexual assaults.

With campaigning for the Holyrood election having only got under way on Thursday, Mr Sarwar said: “Already Reform and the SNP are in chaos, mired in scandal.

“Only one party is positive, ready and ready to deliver a change for our country, and that’s Scottish Labour.

“After 20 years of SNP Government Scotland needs change, it needs a new government, it needs a new first minister.”

He added that while Lord Offord is “trying to defend horrific comments he made a few years back”, Scottish Labour has a campaign that is “focused on the future, focused on the issues, and determined to deliver change in this country”.

Mr Sarwar insisted that in the “majority of constituencies across Scotland”, voters have a “straight choice” between Labour and John Swinney’s SNP.

Speaking as he campaigned in Coatbridge, Mr Sarwar told the Press Association: “The biggest challenge Scotland faces is John Swinney has no energy, and that’s the problem.

“After 20 years of SNP Government Scotland needs change, it needs new energy, new ideas and new leadership, and that can only come from me and Scottish Labour.

“Only two people are standing to be first minister, me and John Swinney. That’s the choice people face in six weeks’ time.

“Do we have a third decade of the SNP with no energy John Swinney, or do we have new energy, new ideas, new leadership and a new government?

“That’s the straight choice – it’s the noise of Reform who can only stop change, it’s low energy John Swinney, or it is change for our NHS, our young people, for our housing market, for our communities, and a new direction for Scotland with Scottish Labour.”