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Scottish Labour\u00a0leadership candidate Joe Fagan has delivered a stinging criticism of Anas Sarwar\u2019s decisions not to challenge the SNP budgets over the last two years.<\/p>\n
Mr Fagan \u2013 who was only elected to the Scottish Parliament in May \u2013 said the decision to abstain had enabled the minority SNP government to force through its tax and spending plans.<\/p>\n
By adopting a passive role in the process, Labour had \u201cput\u00a0politics\u00a0and tactics ahead of real outcomes for working people\u201d, said Mr Fagan.<\/p>\n
Launching his campaign against fellow contenders Michael Marra and Monica Lennon, he warned that the party \u201csuffered a painful defeat\u201d in May and must \u201clearn the lessons of where we have lost\u201d.<\/p>\n
In May Mr Sarwar led the party to its worst election defeat since the devolved government was set up in 1999, returning just 17 MSPs. <\/p>\n
He has caused fury among members by not staying on to review the result and instead opting for a seat in the House of Lords and a position as trade minister in Prime Minister Andy Burnham\u2019s UK government.<\/p>\n Mr Fagan launched his campaign by focusing on how Labour had approached the budget negotiations. \u201cFor two Budgets in a row, while other parties forced concessions from the SNP, we sat on the sidelines,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is time now for Scottish Labour to be bold, to be confident and to shape what happens next.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if I am elected leader, we will take a different approach and it starts with a serious offer to John Swinney and the SNP Government.<\/p>\n \u201cI will set five clear tests for the coming Budget. Five tests of whether it will make a real difference to the lives of working people across Scotland.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you make serious progress on them, we will work with you to pass a Budget.\u201d<\/p>\n The first test will be improved funding for buses, with Mr Fagan demanding the Government provides the cash and make the necessary legal challenges to take buses \u201cback under public control\u201d. This is consistent with his previous calls for franchising of the bus network.<\/p>\n The former East Kilbride\u00a0councillor also called for a permanent \u00a32 fare cap on single bus journeys in Scotland.<\/p>\n As he launched his campaign, the GMB Scotland trade union and Usdaw announced they were endorsing Mr Fagan as leader.<\/p>\n Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland Secretary, said: \u201cAll the candidates in the contest have strong Labour values and are clearly ambitious for the party but our political committee representing members believes Joe Fagan best represents their priorities.<\/p>\n \u201cScottish Labour is at a crossroads and this leadership contest must set the party\u2019s future path with new ideas and fresh thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Tony Doonan, Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland, said Mr Fagan \u201chas a proven track record of leadership at South Lanarkshire Council and offers a fresh start for Labour in the Scottish Parliament, after very disappointing results at this year\u2019s election.<\/p>\n \u201cUsdaw is looking to Scottish Labour to substantially challenge the SNP on a whole range of issues, not least their failures on retail crime. Despite having the first protection of workers law in the UK, retail crime in Scotland is rocketing, with a 19% increase in theft from shops last year and having doubled since the pandemic. <\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are seeing reductions. This cannot go on; retail workers deserve to be respected and properly protected.<\/p>\n \u201cWe welcome Joe Fagan\u2019s understanding of people\u2019s worries about paying the rent, long waiting lists, jobs and the state of the places they call home. He is committed to rooting Labour in Scotland\u2019s places again: homes built at the scale the emergency demands, good work close to home and power sitting closer to the people it affects. We urge Labour members and affiliated supporters to vote for that in the forthcoming election for leader of Scottish Labour.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters after his speech in Glasgow today, Mr Fagan said he did not support Scottish Labour separating from the UK party.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s a viable way forward,\u201d he said. \u201cMany years ago after a previous defeat, we created this role that I\u2019m seeking to stand for just now. Previously the leader of the party in Scotland was simply the leader of the parliamentary group.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are now the leader of Scottish Labour. That\u2019s the position I\u2019m standing for and I will carry myself as the leader of the Labour Party in this nation.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Marra, the first candidate to make the ballot, has won the support of rail workers union Aslef.<\/p>\n Daily Business Bulletin<\/strong>:\u00a0Subscribe here for our morning bulletin of breaking news<\/em><\/p>\n \t <\/div>\n![\"Anas](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Anas-Sarwar-2025-11-27-at-12.59.18-scaled.png\")
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