Anas Sarwar: We shouldn’t allow the SNP to “talk left and act right”

Interim Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar may have formally declared that he will not be entering the race to succeed Johann Lamont, but that has not stopped him analysing where Labour have failed in Scotland over the past few years. In an interview the the Huffington Post, Sarwar identifies the perception that the SNP are more left wing as a problem – even if that belief is misplaced. He said:

“The SNP have been allowed to wear our clothes and talk left but act right in government. The challenge we’ve got is that we’ve walked away from talking about values-based politics.

“The referendum has given us an opportunity to actually talk about Labour values again… which I think we were shy about doing for a long period of time. I don’t think we should be shy about it any more.”

The focus on talking about values has gained a lot of currency within the Labour Party as a campaigning technique over the past couple of years, particularly in the 2010 intake of MPs – when LabourList interviewed Chuka Umunna this summer, he identified “talking about values” as a way of reaching out to disengaged voters. It seems this may be one of the more popular ideas promoted by American community organiser Arnie Graf during the time he has spent here.

Sarwar also said that the Labour Party had failed to prepare for devolution in 1999, which in part has led to the current situation of ill-feeling between some of those at the top of the Scottish and UK Labour Parties:

“The reality is that in 1999, when we got the Scottish Parliament, we prepared the country for devolution but we didn’t prepare as a party for devolution.”

The friction between offices has made the role of Scottish Labour leader a difficult one to hold down: there have been six in the last 15 years. Lamont’s resignation came with accusations of meddling from “London” Labour, including the charge that Ed Miliband had prevented her from opposing the Bedroom Tax – an allegation Sarwar denies:

“We opposed the bedroom tax from the very outset. I think perhaps [Johann] was reflecting her frustration that perhaps she wanted Ed Miliband to come out earlier and say we’d repeal the Bedroom Tax but Ed felt quite rightly he’d have to look at the cost element of [doing] it.”

The Glasgow South MP did not seem taken with suggestions that he will stand down when a new leader is elected. There has been talk that Sarwar would relinquish his position as deputy leader, particularly if a fellow Westminster MP becomes leader. There are rumours that Kezia Dugdale has chosen not to run for the leadership as she would prefer to take over as deputy, while current Shadow Scotland Secretary could be moved to Shadow International Development if Jim Murphy becomes leader – which could potentially leave that brief open for Sarwar. He, however, is more concerned with the task at hand:

“I didn’t run [on] some kind of joint ticket in the last leadership election. I feel I have a job to do in this interim period and I’m focused on it.”