KEIR Starmer has said that ousting Humza Yousaf as Scotland’s First Minister is one of his early goals if Labour win the upcoming General Election.
The UK Labour leader told the Daily Record at the Scottish Labour conference yesterday that the SNP leader should be replaced with Anas Sarwar in two years.
It comes after Sarwar said at the conference that he thinks a Starmer government will lead to a Labour government in Holyrood as well.
“I share that goal,” Starmer told the newspaper. “He’s absolutely right to say that.”
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf: Keir Starmer does not need Scotland to win election
“The First Minister says at the next General Election 'send a message'. Anas says, and I say, send a government. Send a government that can speak for Scotland, change things in Scotland. There will be a fundamental difference with a UK Labour government for Scotland,” he said.
Starmer claimed that Yousaf doesn't want to see a thriving Scotland under a Labour government because “that’s contrary to his business model”.
He then argued that he should be replaced with Sarwar as two Labour governments working together would be “transformative”.
“You will have a Labour Government in the UK and a Labour Government in Scotland working together in the interests of Scotland,” he said.
“One of the biggest failings of the SNP is it suits the SNP here in Scotland and the Tories in Westminster to be in constant conflict.”
He added: “It is a massive challenge for the SNP, and will be if we get into power, if we are able to show we can transform and change the lives of people in Scotland for the better under a Labour Government. That’s a direct threat to the SNP.”
The Labour leader then mentioned the battle over the deposit return scheme as an “example of two governments in conflict with each other”.
“The idea that two governments cannot organise a recycling scheme because they are more interested in fighting with each other than working together is the best example you could have of why the current conflict doesn’t work,” he said.
“I think they (Sunak and Yousaf) feed off each other because the First Minister knows that the Tories have no interest in working with him. He has no interest in working with them.”
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