Sarwar denies being part of wider plot to oust Starmer

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has denied being part of a wider plot to remove Sir Keir Starmer after urging the prime minister to resign.

Hoping to kick-start his campaign for May's Holyrood election, Sarwar called for Starmer to step down at a press conference on Monday.

UK Labour figures have rallied around the prime minister, but Sarwar said on Wednesday that he stood by his call.

The Scottish Labour leader also said he suspended MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy after "new information" emerged about her relationship with a convicted sex offender, former Moray councillor Sean Morton.

Lord Doyle, Starmer's former director of communications, was also suspended from Labour's Westminster party over his links to Morton.

Sarwar said on Monday that the "distraction" of scandals - such as the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US despite his links to Jeffrey Epstein - had to "end".

"The leadership in Downing Street has to change," he told reporters.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Sarwar said he stood by his decision.

"I welcome the fact that there is now general acceptance that things have not been good enough, that there have been far too many mistakes and things have to change," he said.

It has been widely reported that Sarwar spoke to senior Labour figures, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy leader Angela Rayner, before calling for the prime minister to resign.

But Sarwar denied any suggestions of a concerted effort.

"This was my decision, and my decision alone," he told reporters.

"I was not part of any wider attempt or any wider organisation. I took the decision based upon what I am willing to tolerate."

Although Sarwar's sentiments were echoed by several of his MSPs, only two Scottish Labour MPs publicly backed him.

Glenrothes and Mid Fife MP Richard Baker, chairman of Scottish Labour's Westminster group, said on Tuesday that the UK government had made "mistakes", but said the prime minister's position had been "confirmed" by endorsements from senior party members.

He added that the Scottish group was "fully committed" to Sarwar.

Starmer also gave his "100%" backing to the Scottish Labour leader and said he had "huge respect" for the Glasgow MSP.

It was announced on Tuesday evening that MSP Duncan-Glancy had been suspended from Labour's Holyrood group while the party investigated her links to Morton.

On Wednesday, Sarwar said he had sacked her from Labour's frontbench when he became aware of the situation, and dropped her as an election candidate when he did not receive "appropriate answers" to questions about Morton, who she has known since childhood.

He told reporters Duncan-Glancy had lost the party whip due to a fresh investigation looking into "new information".

Labour also suspended newly appointed peer Lord Doyle from its group in the House of Lords on Tuesday evening amid an investigation into his ties to Morton.

Duncan-Glancy admitted a "serious error of personal judgement" in December after it emerged she kept in contact with Morton following his 2017 conviction for possessing indecent child images and extreme pornography.

She also announced she would not seek re-election in May's Holyrood election.

However, the Daily Record reported last month that Duncan-Glancy had continued her friendship with Morton after he was jailed in January 2025 for possessing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual offences order.

He was given two 16-month sentences, backdated to May 2024. It was reported he attended Duncan-Glancy's birthday celebration late last year after being released.

'Clear error of judgement'

Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran as an independent candidate in 2017 - despite Morton having been dropped by Labour after being charged with possessing indecent images of children.

Doyle has apologised for his "clear error of judgement".

The Sunday Times published a story detailing the peer's association with Morton on 27 December, before he was sworn into the Lords in January.

Starmer told MPs his former director of communications had not given a "full account" of his actions when he was being vetted for the peerage.

Opposition MPs rounded on the prime minister, calling for him to strip Doyle of his peerage.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn called Starmer "the most gullible former director of public prosecutions in history" over the vetting of both Mandelson and Doyle.