ALASDAIR CLARK: Labour happy in victory, but voter will have early verdict

In a Number 10 state room as the Scottish political press awaited Prime Minister Keir Starmer, it was Anas Sarwar who wore the biggest smile.

So much so, one reporter dryly noted he was Tigger to Sir Keir’s Eeyore.

The last decade has been a hard slog for Scottish Labour.

Voters have given the party a democratic kicking time and again as successive leaders saw their vote share plummet and internal squabbling took over.

The party that once weighed its vote rather than count it in Scotland was on life support, and power must have felt a lifetime away.

Anas Sarwar has mojo back

But a better-than-expected result in the general election, which saw 37 Scottish seats go back to Labour, seems to have given Mr Sarwar his mojo back.

Watching him in Westminster earlier this week as he met with his new flock of MPs and guests, he was still enjoying the glory of victory.

In Downing Street, where he spent several hours with the Prime Minister, he was clearly proud to see his party back in power.

Keir Starmer meets new Scottish Labour MPs alongside Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie. Image: Shutterstock

Insiders say the pair are “very close” and speak often, with Sir Keir having a good understanding of the unique political landscape north of the border.

Mr Sarwar’s attention to his new group of MPs is explained by insiders as an attempt to prevent division between the Westminster and Holyrood groups – something both the SNP and Labour have experienced.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, has settled into the role he’s shadowed in opposition for years, and the Scottish group seem united behind him.

Can Scottish Labour learn from Sir Keir?

Mr Sarwar must take heart from the success of Sir Keir.

In 2019, after Boris Johnson secured a huge victory, commentators believed the win would cement his position as prime minister for 10 years or more.

Sir Keir took over a Labour party torn apart by division and convinced it was at the beginning of a very long road back to government.

Thanks in part to the scandal and crises that plagued Mr Johnson, and his successors Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir instead turned a grim outlook into a stonking victory in just four years.

Usual cycle cut short for Labour

Despite the reason for optimism, Mr Sarwar is still likely to have arrived in London with a note of caution for his colleagues.

The usual political cycle which gives a government five years before they need to go back to the public does not apply.

In a short 18 months, Mr Sarwar will have to convince Scots to turf out the SNP after two decades in power in Edinburgh.

He will be all too aware that taking a party from the depths of despair to the centre of power is no easy task.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (left) and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Image: PA

This will only be made harder by suggestions Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves may be “front loading” the pain as they tackle economic challenges.

Cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance have been met with vocal opposition, and some have questioned the political strategy of doom and gloom coming from Downing Street.

Indeed, the SNP will be keen to point out the vote went through in London as the first flurry of snow hit the Cairngorms.

But sources say Sir Keir and his cabinet are aware of the political challenge they face in Scotland.

Short time to show Scots they can trust Labour

They have only a short space of time to show Scots that a Labour government in Holyrood is worth voting for.

I’m told GB Energy will be a key part of their messaging, showing that Scotland has benefitted from the government they elected and promises have been fulfilled.

But to avoid those who put their trust in the party in July having a sense of buyers’ remorse in 2026, Sir Keir will need to show Scots how their lives have improved.

GB Energy is still be defined and is unlikely to be actively lowering fuel bills by 2026.

It will offer little comfort to pensioners left facing very difficult choices as they lose hundreds of pounds of support a year.

With public services under strain, and a feeling that nothing works, there will be a serious expectation from those who backed Labour’s message of “change” to see one.

While they will forgive the party blaming their predecessors for so long, when the polls open it will have been time enough for them to expect to see that change.