The morning of 5 July 2024 saw a seeming stability return to UK politics as the last dregs of a chaotic Conservative Government were thrown unceremoniously from Downing Street by an angry electorate. A majority Labour Government replaced them and Keir Starmer entered Downing Street jubilantly.
The honeymoon period didn’t last long, however, as dissent grew within the Labour ranks over the direction of Keir Starmer’s Government. Now, in his second year in office, Starmer is rocked by unprecedented scandal, and more allies are turning on him. In a press conference in Glasgow on Monday 9 February, Anas Sarwar made a statement to journalists calling for him to resign.
The call to go
In his statement, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party and once Starmer ally said: “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.” He stressed the need for change in Scotland and that the failures at the heart of Downing Street could not be allowed to mean the continuation of failures in Scotland; referencing the SNP Government and a fear that Keir Starmer will have blown Labour’s chances to replace them in Bute House.
Standing in front of a Saltire backdrop and the words ‘Scotland’s Choice’, Sarwar insisted his priority is to “my country, Scotland” and also said that:
The people of this great country, Scotland, are crying out for competent government, for transparency, for honesty and for delivery. They want to see a politics that is open and accountable. They want to see leaders who put the national interest before themselves. That is the standard I will always apply.
The Scottish Labour leader also praised his UK counterpart and the good things he achieved in office but ultimately said that he cannot continue as prime minister.
Starmer has had a raft of support come in from Cabinet ministers David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood as well as former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Despite speculation that she might launch her own leadership bid, Rayner said:
I urge all colleagues to come together, remember our values and put them into practice as a team. The Prime Minister has my full support in leading us to that end.
The spark
Keir Starmer’s leadership crisis reached new heights after Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff and the man credited for ‘changing the Labour Party’, resigned over the weekend after taking “full responsibility” for pushing Starmer to appoint former Labour peer Peter Mandleson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States of America.
Mandelson was frequently mentioned in files containing communications between himself and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as well as in incriminating photographs.
Less than 24 hours later, the Labour leader suffered another blow to his leadership as Tim Allan, his director of communications, quit as well.
Where now for Starmer?
It is a turbulent time of crisis for Labour both in Scotland and UK-wide as while Starmer fights for his political survival in Westminster, Anas Sarwar must face the Scottish electorate during what is arguably Labour’s worst scandal in modern times, if not ever.
Will Sarwar’s disowning of his ally in London help Scottish Labour in the coming Holyrood election or has Starmer sealed the fortunes of the party and consigned them to another term in opposition?
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