Anas Sarwar says Labour speaks for 'sensible majority' in Scotland after by-election victory over SNP

The Scottish Labour leader dismissed the threat posed by a new left-wing party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Anas Sarwar has said Labour will speak up for the "sensible majority" in Scotland after his party won a resounding by-election victory today.

His party secured 42 per cent of first preference votes in the Barrhead, Liboside and Uplawmoor by-election which saw Julie Ann Costello McHale returned at stage six of the count in East Renfrewshire.

Sarwar told the Record that Labour was now in a "decent position" with nine months to go until the crunch Holyrood election in 2026.

The Glasgow MSP said: "The result here demonstrates that communities across the country are fed-up with the SNP, they want a new direction, and they recognise that only Scottish Labour can deliver that.

"If you look at this ward, the Labour vote more than doubled, and the SNP vote went down by more than a third, and that's an illustration of if you want a change of direction, you must vote Scottish Labour."

Asked if the starting gun had been fired on Labour's campaign for the Holyrood election, Sarwar added: "The starting gun was fired as long time ago with the stunning victory in the Hamilton by-election, where people rejected the SNP, and that's been amplified here in Barrhead.

He added: "I think we're in a decent position, but I want us to go further. I want us to persuade as many people as possible between now and the election next year that we need a change in direction and a change in government, and only Labour can defeat the SNP. And that's going to take a lot of hard work over the next nine months. But I'm determined to do that."

Sarwar also blasted the Conservartives after the party saw a second MSP quit in the space of six months. Jeremy Balfour walked away from the Tories after he accused it perusing "reactionary politics".

The Scottish Labour leader said: "I think it demonstrates the Conservatives are going down a pretty extreme rabbit hole, where they are chasing a certain type of online forum, rather than trying to speak for the sensible majority in Scotland. While they go down that rabbit hole, what I'm interested in is building up a positive alternative here in Scotland."

It comes as Jeremy Corbyn arrives in Glasgow today ahead of the launch of his still unnamed new political party. Activists have announced a branch of the provisionally named Your Party will be established in the city next month.

Asked if Corbyn posed a risk to Scottish Labour, Sarwar said: "The choice next year is clear. It's either going to be a third decade of the SNP in charge, or a new direction for Scotland with a Scottish Labour government.

"All Nigel Farage, all Jeremy Corbyn, all other people can do, is distract away from the SNP and keep them in power."

Asked if he was frustrated by Corbyn campaigning in Scotland, Sarwar added: "It's a free country, he can do what he wants."

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