Speaking to ITV’s Representing Border, Sarwar was grilled on the 2026 vote as he said he wanted to be Scotland’s next First Minister.
Labour’s poll ratings have dropped significantly following a series of unpopular moves made by Keir Starmer’s new government, including cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment, keeping the two-child cap and a refusal to pay compensation to Waspi women.
Anas Sarwar: ‘I’m in it to win it’@AnasSarwar tells @KieranPAndrews he believes Scottish Labour will win the 2026 Holyrood election, despite polls suggesting dwindling support.
He won’t say whether he’ll remain Scottish Labour leader, if he fails to become First Minister pic.twitter.com/TY6uGUtddr
— Representing Border (@ITVBorderRB) January 8, 2025
Sarwar told ITV: “I’m being really clear, I’m standing on a platform to be first minister of our country.”
Asked by interviewer Kieran Andrews if he would still be Scottish Labour leader were he not elected FM, Sarwar dodged the question.
“I’m in it to win it and that’s what I’m focused on. Nobody thought we could win the General Election,” he said.
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“We did and people are questioning whether we can win in 2026. I believe we can, I believe we will but we’ve got to do hard work.”
The interview comes just days after Sarwar confirmed his party would abstain on the Scottish Budget vote.
He said that his MSPs would only consider voting on the Budget if the Scottish Government stopped “pretending” they were removing the two-child cap.
The Scottish Government has said it must work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), who have the data needed, in order to scrap the cap for Scots from 2025/26.
Asked if he had spoken to anyone at DWP to see if his demands for the cap to be removed by April could be met, Sarwar (below) said: “The DWP has made clear it will work constructively with the Scottish Government in terms of the data required.
(Image: PA)
“I don’t think getting the data is the issue. I think the speed and intent of government is the issue so they will have the data, they don’t have the data, they will get the data if they ask for the data, the DWP has made that very clear.
“They can create the system if they wish very quickly. Why do we need more than three months to set up a system?
“Surely we should be fleet of foot if we know who the people are already given the data.
“There’s also the option to use the DWP to administer payments. The Scottish Government has done that previously, there’s no reason why it can’t do it again.”
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville previously said: ““The 2025/26 Budget commits to spending £3 million to develop the systems needed to deliver mitigation of the two-child cap, which could lift an estimated 15,000 children out of poverty in Scotland.
“The detailed work of building the system and developing legislation to do that will start with this Budget, however implementation requires, not just the co-operation of the UK Government, but also legislation.
“Officials from both governments have met to discuss and I am seeking a ministerial meeting so this vital policy can be progressed as a priority.
“We are ready to work as hard as possible in 2025 so that we can start paying families as early as possible in 2026, we need the UK Government to do the same.”