Scots Labour ‘stopped being movement for change’
Mr Sarwar made the admission as the voting deadline closes in Scottish Labour’s leadership and deputy leadership election today.
The Glasgow Central MP stepped down from his deputy leadership role in Scottish Labour shortly after Johann Lamont quit as leader.
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Hide AdHowever, Mr Sarwar, who will serve in the interim leadership role until Scottish Labour elects a new leader on Saturday, said the party “fell into a trap of being defenders of the past and defenders of the establishment”.
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He said: “During the referendum campaign, too often our arguments on the doorsteps or in television studios became not about the rights and wrongs of independence, but the rights and wrongs of the Labour Party.
“We were basing much of the case on monuments to past achievements. They were all things we value today but all were delivered beyond most people’s memories.
“We had stopped being a movement for change and fell into a trap of being defenders of the past and defenders of the establishment.
“That was wrong.
“We are not the party of the establishment, we should want to break the establishment.”
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