Sarwar: Austerity row MSP Mochan would still have place in my government

Anas Sarwar has said one of his MSPs would still serve in his government team if he wins next year’s election, despite a public disagreement over whether UK benefit cuts amount to austerity.

The Scottish Labour leader insisted his party was “absolutely united” despite a number of Labour MSPs and MPs attacking their own party over huge welfare reforms targeting support for disabled Brits and those on incapacity benefits.

Carol Mochan, the party’s public health spokesperson, described the UK Government’s proposed £5 billion worth of welfare cuts as “austerity” and warned her party not to balance the books “on the back” of those most in need of help.

Mr Sarwar said he supports the benefits overhaul, which he has denied amounted to “cuts” at all. He said the welfare budget would still go up despite the changes to disability support, something he said was “the very opposite of austerity”.

Asked by reporters in Glasgow whether Ms Mochan could face disciplinary action over the disagreement, Mr Sarwar said: “Carol Mochan is a fantastic member of the Scottish Parliament, a fantastic advocate for the local community, and will be a fantastic minister in the Scottish Labour government.

“You’re asking about austerity. Austerity means that public spending goes down.

“Public spending is going up – the very opposite of austerity.”

Ms Mochan joins a growing number of Labour politicians speaking out against the changes, with Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman also describing the changes as “austerity”.

Meanwhile, former MSP Neil Findlay quit the party over the cuts, accusing Labour of having “lied” to the electorate.

Despite the backlash, the Scottish Labour leader told the PA news agency his party was still united.

“My party is absolutely united on winning the last election, united on fixing the mess left by the Tories, united on winning the election next year and booting the SNP out of office and united in taking Scotland in a new direction.

“That unity is what won us the election last year and is going to win us the election next year.”

Earlier during his visit to the City of Glasgow College, Mr Sarwar said Labour was a “fantastically cohesive group”.

He said Scots faced a choice at next year’s Scottish Parliament election “between either John Swinney as First Minister and a continuation of the SNP, taking us in the wrong direction, or me as first minister and us taking Scotland in a new direction”.

“That’s the choice,” he said.

SNP MSP George Adam said: “If Anas Sarwar put as much effort into standing up for Scotland as he does into the contortions necessary to support Keir Starmer then we would all be much better off.

“His absence of a backbone never ceases to amaze, and he appears to have plunged new depths in denying the very thing that the Labour Government has announced – £5 billion of cuts.

“Hundreds of thousands of Scots who rely on social security support will be impacted by this decision, as will Scottish Government funding. It is understandably a very unnerving time for those families and this woeful political spin from Mr Sarwar will do nothing to ease their concerns.

“The SNP is proud to have built a social security system rooted in dignity, fairness and respect; and under John Swinney’s leadership we are absolutely focused on delivering for the Scottish people.

“Anas Sarwar has let down Scotland time and time again, the least he could do is be honest about it.”