ANAS Sarwar repeatedly dodged questions about whether Keir Starmer was a "vote winner" in Scotland and immigration in a disastrous broadcast interview.
Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, the Scottish Labour leader was asked the question several times and was accused of giving “a great long listen” and being “far from answering” as he veered off topics.
After three attempts, Sarwar said the party “wouldn't be able to win an election next year if we didn't have a UK Labour Government and Keir Starmer wasn't that Prime Minister”, despite recent polling showing the Prime Minister was more unpopular in Scotland than Donald Trump.
Sarwar was then asked whether the Prime Minister was “dancing to the tune of Nigel Farage” as he continues to prioritise the issue of migration in Scotland, despite it coming third in the list of topics Scots are concerned about.
Instead of answering the question, he pivoted to NHS waiting lists and the issue of Scots seeking care from private providers.
Returning to immigration, the presenter asked Sarwar about Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s planned speech at the party conference, where she’ll tell attendees that migrants will have to prove they're contributing to society to earn the right to remain.
One of the conditions will reportedly entail migrants not claiming any benefits before achieving status in the UK. “Is that immoral? Is that potentially racist?” the presenter asked.
In response, Sarwar said that “we’ll have to wait and see what the details of the Home Secretary’s intentions is [sic]”, despite the story being on the front page of several newspapers on Monday.
The host pointed out details of Mahmood’s speech were already running on the BBC and said: “I’m asking you if you’re comfortable with the idea that if you have to claim benefits through perhaps your company going bust, or you losing your job, that that would debar you from claiming to stay.”
Sarwar said it “depends on the detail” and whether a person was seeking long term unemployment or a safety net whilst transitioning between jobs, to which the host pointed out that “you just don't know how long that safety net might be needed for in terms of making that transition”.
