The Scottish Labour leader is facing major criticism after pleading with the Prime Minister to quit at a hastily-arranged press conference in Glasgow on Monday.
One senior Scottish Labour figure told Sky News Sarwar’s intervention was “idiocy, immature, incoherent, and self-defeating”.
They added: “Bad for the country, playing into our opponents hands, and without any idea of an end game.”
One insider told The Guardian: “Does Anas seriously believe that this intervention is going to make him FM?”
Another branded the move “soulless careerism”.
Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer (Image: Archive)
The Times quoted a senior figure as saying: “Anas is wrong. [It’s] opportunistic and with no plan.”
Another Scottish Labour source added: “Anas does not have authority to speak on behalf of the Scottish party in this way. It’s a fucking shitshow.”
A third said: “Is this really going to help Anas’ chances of winning that much? It’s rearranging the cushions in a burning house.”
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Cabinet ministers launched a coordinated campaign to defend the Prime Minister in the wake of Sarwar’s intervention, with Starmer’s top team speaking with broadcast media and issuing supportive statements on social media.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, who is co-chairing Labour’s Holyrood election campaign, opposed Sarwar.
“Anas has reached his own decision and I respect that,” he said in a statement. “My job – as Anas acknowledged today – is to make sure Scotland’s voice is heard in Cabinet. My focus remains on doing that.”
One Scottish Labour MP asked “what’s he got to lose” when asked for reaction to Sarwar’s speech.
Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman speaking in the Commons (Image: House of Commons)
Brian Leishman, the Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, publicly backed Sarwar, saying: “In calling for the Prime Minister to resign, Anas Sarwar has shown that he and Scottish Labour will act in the best interests of our country.”
Leishman had on Sunday called for the Prime Minister to step down.
Saying it caused him “pain” to call for Starmer to resign, Sarwar added: “The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.”
It came during a disastrous 24 hours for the Prime Minister which saw his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and director of communications Tim Allan quit in the wake of the Peter Mandelson scandal.