Spitting the dummy, Anas Sarwar’s camp under siege as they react badly to Unite signing up 2,700 members in two days so they can vote in the Scottish Labour leadership contest, the panic is laughable as claims that a ‘stitch up’ is underway, Anas Sarwar’s campaign is dire, started badly and keeps going downhill, he has no broad appeal because he never built it

Dear All

It is pretty clear that Anas Sarwar’s campaign has been dreadful, dreadful at the start and in all likelihood will be dreadful at the end. The big torpedo was obviously the ‘real living’ wage issue which his family doesn’t pay their employees. In order to attempt to kill the story, Anas Sarwar transferred the shares to his children.

I personally thought, how long will it be before someone said instead of him ‘exploiting the workers’, he has now palmed it off on his children, it was a flaw strategy in my opinion. When Labour MSP Jackie came out with the tweet:

“By giving up his shares in the company, @AnasSarwar puts the party and the country first. Big sacrifice, mark of a true leader #Anas4Leader”.

He transferred the shares to his children!

Some people after reading this tweet might be duped into thinking that Anas Sarwar just gave away £4.8 million in shares but when you go into detail, you see his children get them.

Is this the mark of a ‘true leader’ using your kids as a vessel to cut down avenues of discussion?

Another interesting little gem was the epic attacks on opponents as Sarwar's people started to blame the SNP, Leonard’s crew and anyone else they could think of.

It should be remembered that all the ‘issues’ brought up relate to what Anas Sarwar and his family have done in the past, no one is making up stories.  

In what must be another episode of sour grapes, a row erupts over fears that Unite could help stitch up Scottish Labour leadership for Richard Leonard. Is there going to be a trade union stitch-up to install the left-wing Corbyn-supporting candidate?

Well, it seems that Unite had signed up 2,700 members to the union’s political levy in just two days last weekend which gives them a vote in the contest. I sincerely doubt that the bulk of the 2,700 members will be Sarwar supporters.

One thing which is known; is that Asian Labour “members” have a habit of turning up at candidate selection, selecting an Asian candidate, never do any activism, never attend meetings and then simply disappear. So, I am not too bothered that having learned how to ‘’play the game’, some people operate in the same fashion as Asian members have in the past.  

Richard Leonard is a prominent trade unionist although not as well known as Anas Sarwar who has the higher profile, but it appears that he is getting more grassroots support.

The Blair Faction or Progress which Anas was deeply connected to, on the other hand appears to be the unrepresentative minority who have had their day. In a show of despair, Anas Sarwar has warned that Scottish Labour activists “wouldn’t take kindly” to any attempt by Unite to return the party to “a branch office”, this echoes what Johann Lamont said as she departed the leadership re branch office.

Clearly this is a rattled Anas Sarwar who has gone negative.

It is Anas Sarwar’s job to present a positive image, he is failing to do so, his proposed scheme to give every school-leaver a job, training or education is simply retread bullshit packaged to look ‘new’, it isn’t.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/15556675.Every_school_leaver____guaranteed_a_job__training_or_education____under_Sarwar_leadership/

When I read this, I thought back to all the other politicians who spun the same idea in election after election after election. To me, this is like Scottish Labour’s ‘knife campaign’ which they rolled out in by-elections for Holyrood, the ‘campaign’ was a farce as it led to…… nothing, no private member’s Bill.

That con trick should angry people as Scottish Labour used it repeatedly, it was a by-election ploy but it also showed that Scotland is exceptional poor re political talent.

The pool in Scotland is rather shallow, and has been for some time, can you name a really great politician?  

Chances are…….no!

Hen you look at this contest, I don’t see Anas Sarwar have broad cross party support or beyond, Richard Leonard has the official backing of Unite in Scotland, plus the support of three other major unions: Usdaw, TSSA and Aslef.  And if the wind is blowing in the right direction, Leonard may also pick up Unison.

Leonard has received from parliamentarians, councillors, the grassroots and trade unions; I don’t think that Anas can claim the same cross section.

Scotland needs Richard Leonard to replace Kezia Dugdale who hopefully will not make a fool of himself if elected, Scottish Labour needs a broad appeal; and Anas Sarwar hasn’t built it.

If he loses and stands again down the line, he may reflect on that aspect of his campaign, along with his personal situation, as to his current campaign, it is just dire!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University