Sarwar pledges ‘better opposition’ as he turns up heat on the Tories

Anas Sarwar has pledged that Scottish Labour will offer a “better opposition” as he set his sights on beating the Conservatives and depriving the SNP of a majority at the Holyrood election.

The Scottish Labour leader yesterday unveiled advertising vans that urge Scots to use both votes for his party on the constituency and regional list ballot papers in May’s election.

Mr Sarwar has described the Scottish Tories as “game-playing and incompetent” and warned they have resorted to “old arguments and old divisions”.

Instead, Mr Sarwar said Scottish Labour under his leadership “can stop an SNP majority and we can push them towards the priorities that matter coming through this recovery”.

Scottish Labour won 24 seats at the previous Scottish Parliament election, falling to third place behind the Scottish Conservatives, who won 31 seats.

Mr Sarwar, who is a candidate for the Glasgow Southside constituency and the Glasgow regional list, said five years of the Tories as the main opposition have been “chaos”.

Speaking outside Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, he said: “I think Scotland can choose something different and in this election you’re not just electing a government, you’re also electing an opposition.”

CLEAR FOCUS: Labour leader Anas Sarwar has the Scottish Conservatives in his sights.