How Keir Starmer hopes Labour can woo Scottish independence supporters and SNP voters

Labour has made an appeal to independence supporters that a Labour government at Westminster can deliver the change they thrive for.

Sir Keir Starmer’s message to Scotland was crystal clear – change is coming, you can help deliver it.

The UK Labour leader arrived in the southside of Glasgow on Friday to launch Scottish Labour’s general election campaign – a pitch to independence-supporters that his party can deliver the change they want – adamant “the SNP have lost any sense of ambition if all they want to do is sit on the opposition benches”.

Taking to the stage alongside Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, the double act appealed directly to those who may have previously backed John Swinney’s party, pleading with them to help send a fleet of Scottish Labour MPs to Westminster.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaking at the launch of Scottish Labour's general election campaign at City Facilities in Glasgow. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

The limitations of the SNP’s vast tally of MPs at Westminster focusing on “sending a message” to the UK was made clear by Sir Keir – as was an alternative through Labour for Scotland’s voice to form a crucial part of the next UK government.

Sir Keir insisted Scotland’s voice was “vital”, insisting the snap election called by Rishi Sunak on Wednesday was “what Scotland needs and what Scotland has been waiting for”. He has also firmly ruled out any deals with the SNP after July’s election, insisting there is “no way” his party could work with Scottish nationalists.

The Labour leader made clear that “Scotland is central to the mission of the next Labour government”, but voters are still waiting for the specifics.

Keir Starmer joins Anas Sarwar in launching Scottish Labour's general election campaign (Photo by John Devlin)

He said: “The height of the SNP ambition is to send a message. I want Scotland to send a government – a Labour government.”

A full manifesto from Labour is yet to be released, both at UK and Scotland level. So far, it is known that Labour’s energy plans will place Scotland at the centre, and Sir Keir has said he is proud of his plans to overhaul working conditions and introduce a real living wage, insisting it will be the “biggest act of levelling up for workers rights in a generation”.

But specific details of Scotland’s energy plans are hazy, other than GB Energy will be based somewhere north of the Border. Sir Keir vowed to create “jobs in Scotland” while “keeping prices down across the whole country”.

The former lawyer has so-far told the public what Labour will not do in government. But voters are still waiting to hear the details of what can be expected if he does, what almost feels inevitable now, become the next prime minister.

Anas Sarwar at the launch of Scottish Labour's general election campaign, alongside Sir Keir Starmer (Photo by John Devlin/National World)

But his first visit to Scotland on the trail – there will likely be many more – was a pitch to those voters who previously backed the SNP on the basis their independence campaign will bring about the change needed. Labour are adamant that change is coming, and it can be achieved through grabbing the keys to Downing Street.

Speaking to journalists after his speech, Sir Keir pointed the finger at the ambitions of the SNP, as he put it to “send someone to sit on the opposition benches … protesting”.

The Labour leader bluntly warned “the SNP have lost any sense of ambition if all they want to do is sit on the opposition benches”.

He said: “That’s not going to bring about any change in Scotland – that’s more opposition. We’ve had 14 years of opposition in Westminster and it doesn’t deliver change. That’s why at this election it’s important to say we do want change in Scotland – send a Labour representative to sit on the government benches.”

Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar wave at supporters as they launch Scottish Labour's general election campaign (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)

Sir Keir stressed he was “humbly asking for the trust of voters to allow us to change Scotland for the better”. Pressed about the fairly stable support in Scotland for independence – around the 48 per cent mark – Mr Sarwar insisted the election was “not about independence, it’s about change”.

Acknowledging a large number of Scots who have called for independence, Mr Sarwar concluded “they thought it was the only way to get away from this rotten Tory government” and “parachute out”.

He said Labour would “recognise people in Scotland want change” as he appealed for independence voters to “work together on this journey and deliver this change”.

Mr Sarwar added: “We may ultimately disagree on the final destination for Scotland, but we all agree we need change right now.”

Sir Keir said “I understand that sentiment” of many Scots wanting independence, but stressed there was “a lot of shared ground in relation to change”.

The Labour leader has faced accusations of shifting policies towards the centre ground to sweep up support from the Tories who are plummeting in the polls – Rachel Reeves is regarded by many as a conservative chancellor-in-waiting. But there was a hint of the leader of the opposition looking to shake his ‘centrist dad’ reputation, by vowing to put Labour “back in the service of working people”.

His shake-up of workers rights, if it reaches the Labour manifesto as billed, would be welcomed by a lot of SNP supporters – a real and tangible example of change Sir Keir’s party hopes to deliver. But Scots weighing up backing Labour or the SNP will likely need more of the same if they are to switch in numbers and put their dreams of independence temporarily on hold.

SNP voters will be after concrete promises on some of these policies rather than a commitment to have a think.

Unsurprisingly, Sir Keir made clear there would be “absolutely no deal with the SNP”, warning “there is no way an incoming Labour government could ever work in any way with the SNP, whose only ambition is to break up the United Kingdom.”

Sir Keir wouldn’t put a number on how many Scottish Labour MPs would constitute a success, but warned his party has “still got more persuasion to do”.

That persuasion, if successful, will likely come from policy announcements yet to be made – with a promise of ‘change’ needed backed up by key measures the public can get excited about.