Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he pushes Sir Keir Starmer to be more "extroverted" when he comes to Scotland. The admission came during a candid interview at the Edinburgh Fringe, where Sarwar discussed his working relationship with the UK Labour leader.
Sarwar described their contrasting personalities, saying he is "much more probably conversational, out there, a bit of an extrovert" whilst acknowledging that Sir Keir is "a bit more introverted in that sense". The Scottish Labour leader maintains regular contact with Downing Street, speaking to the Prime Minister around two or three times a month.
Building rapport with Starmer
The conversations often take place at weekends when both politicians have more free time. Sarwar suggested that Sir Keir appears more relaxed in Scotland than in other parts of the UK, crediting their developing rapport for this comfort level.
He noted that the Prime Minister has become more confident and relaxed in the five years since becoming Labour leader. "I think we've built up a rapport, probably because I am pushing to be a bit more of extroverted than perhaps he is in other parts," Sarwar explained.
Gaza response proved challenging
However, Sarwar acknowledged that Labour's early response to the war in Gaza had been "challenging" for the party. He referenced a controversial LBC interview where Sir Keir said Israel had the "right" to withhold power and water from Gaza following the October 7 attacks.
"I think the early part was challenging, he himself accepts that what he said in the LBC interview wasn't right," Sarwar said. He called for the party to do "much more to hold the Israeli government to account" and ensure no components are being used proactively in Gaza.
Scottish election strategy
Looking ahead to the 2026 Scottish election, Sarwar said he was putting his "heart, soul energy, time" into winning what he expects will be a "very close election" resulting in a "parliament of minorities". He ruled out any formal coalition agreements similar to the SNP-Green powersharing arrangement.
Instead, Sarwar pledged to "work progressively with the parliament" if he becomes first minister. He emphasised his commitment to forming a minority Scottish Labour government without any "back room stitch-ups", preferring to govern based on manifesto promises.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
