Anas Sarwar is facing mounting pressure to clarify his stance on controversial cuts to disability benefits as outlined in Labour’s new Welfare Bill.
The SNP is demanding that the Scottish Labour leader state whether he will instruct his MPs to back the changes, which campaigners warn could deepen poverty across the UK.
The challenge comes in the wake of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s refusal to confirm whether Labour MPs who vote against the bill will be punished, fuelling speculation about a party-wide directive.
According to the UK government’s own figures, the proposed cuts are projected to push 250,000 more people into poverty, including 50,000 children.
At the heart of the row is Labour’s decision not to reverse the Conservatives’ two-child cap on benefits, a policy now firmly backed by party leader Keir Starmer.
In Scotland, the contrast could not be starker.
The SNP government has just rolled out measures to offset the two-child cap north of the border, a move expected to lift around 20,000 children out of relative poverty in the coming year.
MSP Collette Stevenson has strongly criticised Labour’s proposals, calling them a “shameful imitation” of Conservative austerity policies.
She argues that Labour’s plans would continue a legacy of hardship for vulnerable families, undermining claims that the party represents a genuine alternative to the status quo.
“Keir Starmer seems willing to press on with Tory-style cuts that will devastate the lives of thousands,” Stevenson said.
“Anas Sarwar needs to be honest.
“Will he support these cuts, or will he finally stand up for Scotland’s most vulnerable?”
She went on to accuse Sarwar of consistently failing to stand up to Westminster leadership, despite promises to advocate for Scotland’s interests within the party.
The SNP, meanwhile, has vowed to fight the bill at every opportunity and argues that only full independence can offer Scotland the tools to build a fairer society.
For many, the situation raises uncomfortable questions about Labour’s direction under Starmer and whether Scottish Labour can credibly claim to offer a distinct, progressive voice.
As the debate intensifies, all eyes are now on Anas Sarwar.
His next move could define his leadership and reshape Labour’s fortunes in Scotland.
