Don’t let Farage and Reform divide us, Labour’s Sarwar urges Holyrood leaders

The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar , has warned other Scottish political leaders not to spend the next Holyrood parliament “shouting about Nigel Farage”, saying his job is to ensure there is a credible opposition at Holyrood “that holds the SNP’s feet to the fire”. While the Scottish National party won a fifth successive Holyrood victory and ended up with 58 MSPs, Labour had its worst result since devolution in 1999, tying for second place with Reform UK as both parties secured 17 MSPs. Speaking for the first time since he conceded defeat on Friday, Sarwar said he did not believe it was Reform’s intention to do anything more than create division, and he said he would work with other political parties in the Scottish parliament that shared his views. Interviewed on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Sarwar refused to be drawn on speculation about Keir Starmer’s future as Labour leader and batted away questions about his own position, saying: “I’ve got a job to do and I intend to do it.” He said: “If we think the next parliament is all about shouting about Nigel Farage, that only serves the purpose of those who want to use politics to divide us. We need the parliament to make sure it’s actually getting things done for people in Scotland, and that’s holding the SNP government to account and making sure they deliver the promises that they make. “I don’t believe Reform can do that, I don’t think it’s their intention to do that. …