2025 promises to be a tough year for Anas Sarwar, an SNP MSP has said – as pressure builds on the Labour leader amidst an unprecedented polling slump since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister.
In a Norstat poll, Labour has hit a low of 21% on the Scottish constituency vote in December – even lower than the 22% scored in their 2021 when Anas Sarwar led them to a third place finish, behind even Douglas Ross’ Tories.
Starmer’s popularity as Prime Minister has also tanked, currently lower than Boris Johnson in Scotland in like-for-like polling: only 19% think he’s doing good or very good job as Prime Minister (Nov, Dec 2024 – Norstat) compared to 24% for Boris Johnson in Dec 2019 (Norstat).
John Swinney is now the most popular political leader in Scotland in polls (Norstat: November, December; Ipsos: September) and a decade on from the independence referendum, support remains strong at an average Yes vote of 49% and No vote of 51%, if undecideds are removed.
Commenting Kevin Stewart MSP said:
“Labour has had a disastrous second half of 2024 and if I was Anas Sarwar I would be heading into 2025 deeply concerned.
“In just five months the Labour UK government has taken a number of catastrophic decisions, breaking promise after promise and showing a complete disregard for Scotland in the process.
“Meanwhile Labour in Scotland have stood idly by, supporting their Westminster bosses and watching their own constituents lose out.
“Labour have cut the Winter Fuel Payment, continued the abhorrent two-child cap, betrayed the WASPI women and hit Scotland’s public services with a national insurance tax hike.
“It’s no wonder that their support is plummeting.
“The people of Scotland know that the SNP under John Swinney is relentlessly focused on delivering progress on the things that matter most.
“That’s what you get with a Swinney government, and that is the message the SNP will confidently take into 2025.
“In contrast, Labour MSPs are clearly starting to get anxious amidst their disastrous poll ratings and their continual self-inflicted political disasters – and there is only so long they are going to put up with Anas Sarwar’s weak leadership as pressure continues to build.”
