Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will tomorrow call for a focus on Scotland’s national recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic – rather than proposals for another independence referendum.
In his first major speech since becoming Scottish Labour’s new party leader, Sarwar will warn Scotland faces a choice – returning to the old divisions of independence versus the union, or focusing on rebuilding the country.
Speaking from the party’s headquarters, Sarwar, 37, will say the pandemic has brought Scotland together – and that this unity should be maintained.
He will say: “Covid may have separated us. But despite that, we are a more united nation because of the challenges we have faced together.
“The choice we face is whether to return to the old divisions, or to pull our country together and focus on recovery.
“Yes, the polls show us that our country is still divided on the question of independence. That is a simple fact.
“But holding a different view on the constitution doesn’t mean we can’t choose to focus on what unites us.” Sarwar will contrast what he says is in the national interest of helping Scotland recover, with the personal political interest of promoting a second independence referendum.
He will say: “Some politicians would rather we went back and focused on those divisions. That is for their personal political interests not the national interest.
“An argument about a referendum right now won’t take one more person back to work; it won’t lift a single family out of poverty; it won’t restart our NHS; and it would undermine the effort – a national effort – to recover from the pandemic.”
Sarwar was elected leader last month, after winning 57.6% of the vote. The Glasgow politician defeated the party’s health spokeswoman, Monica Lennon.
At the time he said he would, over the next few weeks, lay out his vision for a “Covid recovery parliament.”
He will say: “I am going to be a leader who focuses on what unites us as a country, not what divides us.
“Prioritising the national recovery should be what unites us all. So I say to all my fellow Scots, whether you were Yes or No, or Leave or Remain, if you believe we should work together on the things we care about right now, then Scottish Labour is with you in this election.”
Tomorrow’s speech is intended to set out his pitch to voters for the election. The main policy focus will be on education, with a focus on helping schools and pupils recover from lockdown.
Scottish Labour education spokesperson, Michael Marra, said: “Throughout this pandemic the SNP has failed the parents, teachers and above all the pupils of Scotland.
“Scottish Labour is determined to deliver hope for the young people of Scotland, and our education comeback plan, which we will launch shortly, will seek to put Scotland’s pupils in the driving seat of our recovery from the pandemic.”
The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has suggested a second independence referendum could be held as early as late 2021.
He also said that he wanted a new referendum “as quickly as practically possible.”
If the SNP win in May’s Scottish Parliament elections, he said a Referendum Bill, which will be published “over the coming weeks” could then be enacted.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later refused to comment on Sarwar’s remarks.
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