Scottish by-election key 'stepping stone' in path towards a Labour majority

15 August 2023 , 12:22

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Keir Starmer was speaking alongside the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar (Image: PA)

Keir Starmer has insisted victory in a crunch Scottish by-election will be a critical "stepping stone" in the path towards a Labour majority government.

The Labour leader said the Rutherglen and Hamilton West vote - expected in the autumn - was a "real moment" to showcase a revival north of the border.

A by-election was triggered in the constituency after the ex-SNP MP Margaret Ferrier, who was convicted of breaking Covid laws, was booted out of the Commons. Thousands of her constituents signed a recall petition after Ms Ferrier refused to step down more than two years after admitting travelling from London to Scotland with the virus.

Labour is seeking to overturn the SNP's 5,320 majority in Rutherglen and Hamilton West - a seat that has repeatedly switched allegiances since 2010. Speaking alongside the party's Scottish leader Anas Sarwar, Mr Starmer said: "It is very important to us. Obviously it's a by-election and therefore it's an important step towards a general election. But we know it's going to be at some point next year."

"And for all us absolutely committed to a majority Labour Government - that will only happen if we win Scotland. So it really, really matters we win this constituency as a stepping stone to the battle we will have into next year." The Labour leader stressed: "In order to get a one seat majority Labour government we've got to get a swing bigger than [Tony] Blair had in 1997. That's the size of the task."

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The date of the by-election - a major test for both Labour and the SNP - will be announced in September when the Commons returns from the summer recess. Mr Starmer added: "It is of course the first chance we have had and Scottish labour have had to show the progress that we've made over the last few years, particularly under Anas's [Sarwar] leadership. This is our chance to show the progress that we have made."

Mr Starmer also sought to play down claims of a division between Scottish Labour and the party at Westminster over the controversial two-child benefit limit. It comes after the Labour leader said the party would not scrap the policy - but Mr Sarwar has said he would "press" a Labour government to drop the measure.

Mr Starmer said: "Anas and I have got a very, very strong working relationship. So anybody who's trying to find division is going to have a very, very long search."

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Ashley Cowburn