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SCOTTISH Labour have now dumped the “change” slogan they shared with UK Labour.
It was breathlessly used by now Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Scottish branch office chief Anas Sarwar during the General Election campaign.
To good use, you could argue – after all, it encapsulated why many across the UK voted for Labour last July, albeit perhaps as a mere change from the disastrous Tories rather than for inherently positive reasons.
But Scottish Labour have now ditched “change” for “new direction” after a series of mind-bogglingly poor and, unsurprisingly, unpopular decisions by the new Government – from scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment and keeping the two-child benefit cap to ditching compensation for Waspi women.
READ MORE: SNP MSP waits 119 days for answers from Labour on Winter Fuel Payment cut
Polling results for Scottish Labour have plunged to gloomy depths – even suggesting the upcoming Holyrood elections could see Sarwar’s party drop two further MSPs, a new low.
Six months ago, parts of the Scottish political and media establishment were almost treating Sarwar as the first minister in waiting. Now, he is having to dodge questions on whether he would resign if Scottish Labour lose in 2026.
A “new direction” is certainly needed if he wants to change that – but Scottish Labour will need far more than just a slogan.
Scottish Labour’s social media is flush with the new messaging, making the argument that they represent a new more positive direction for Scotland than the one proposed by the SNP.
But I doubt much of the Scottish electorate are convinced Anas Sarwar even represents a new direction from Starmer and the increasingly floundering Labour government.
And therein lies the problem for the branch office leader.
Unless Sarwar visibly stands up to the Prime Minister for the benefit of Scotland, the only “new direction” will be him to the backbenches.