Labour splits clear to see as Starmer slaps down Scottish dissent
These comments come after he made it clear, during his latest escapade north to Edinburgh today, that he was the one doing the talking. Both the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, and Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election candidate Michael Shanks shared concerns over party policy but were slapped down.
Under Starmer, Labour has made screeching u-turns on several policies, choosing instead to mimic the cruel and poorly-judged Tory lines. He has refused to scrap the callous two-child benefit cap or rape clause, and has changed his position on the de-medicalisation of gender recognition for trans people. He now supports the Tories’ disastrous Brexit, and will not reverse their inhumane policies for asylum seekers that are resulting in people dying.
Shanks and some in the Labour ranks at Holyrood have expressed disquiet about these decisions, but have not sought to take action.
Maggie Chapman MSP, the Scottish Greens’ Equalities and Human Rights spokesperson said:
“The contempt Starmer is showing for Scotland shouldn’t be clearer. It would be funny, and deserve a place in the comedy Fringe, if it weren’t so tragic. The idea that there aren’t splits in the Labour ranks is equally laughable. He is so desperate to gain power in Westminster that he’s prepared to throw his own party politicians - and Labour values - under the bus. It is as clear a case of Westminsteritis as you’ll ever see.
“It’s clear to anyone on the outside looking in that Labour politicians and supporters not just in Scotland, but up and down the UK, are beginning to question what kind of man Sir Keir Starmer is.
“He throws away his values like flyers in a street, and will do or say anything to make it into the headlines. His words just seem like some kind of act. The very fact he is back in Scotland again shows how worried he is.
“I almost feel sorry for Labour in Scotland, but they take just as much responsibility for voting him in as their leader as the Tories for saddling us with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister. It is becoming increasingly difficult to tell these two wealthy men apart.”