Muted response for Swinney and Sarwar down to ‘jam tomorrow’ pledges – STUC boss

Anas Sarwar and John Swinney received “muted” responses at a trade union event this week due to “jam tomorrow” promises, the leader of the STUC has said.

Both leaders addressed the STUC congress in Dundee this week, laying out their pitches to the labour movement ahead of next year’s election.

While it was the first time that Mr Swinney had spoken at the annual event, Mr Sarwar has regularly appeared since taking over as Scottish Labour leader in 2021.

Usually given a rousing reception by delegates, the response to Mr Sarwar on Tuesday morning at the Caird Hall was less so.

I would expect our trade union movement to continue to press on the Labour Party and the UK Labour Government to go further and faster in the interest of their membership and of working people across the country

Speaking to the PA news agency after the speech, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “I think there was a more muted response from our delegates to Anas’s speech and I think there was a more muted response to the First Minister’s speech as well.

“I think that’s indicative of where people’s views are in the trade union movement at the moment and it goes back to not seeing enough difference being made to people’s material conditions in terms of their household finances.

“And that’s got to change and it’s got to change fast.”

Describing the annual STUC congress “like the worker’s parliament”, Ms Foyer added: “We have people in that hall who are on the front line, working in public sector jobs.

“They’re facing the day-in, day-out stresses that all ordinary working people are facing and it’s very hard to be enthusiastic about jam tomorrow.”

After his speech, Mr Sarwar rejected the suggestion he was not well received, saying: “I don’t accept that.

“I’ve always had a very warm relationship and reception from our trade union colleagues across the country.

“Of course, I would expect our trade union movement to continue to press on the Labour Party and the UK Labour Government to go further and faster in the interest of their membership and of working people across the country.

“That’s the right thing for them to do, that is their role at the end of the day.”

One of the key themes of the event this week has been on countering what they described as the far right in Scottish politics – in which they include the Nigel Farage-led Reform UK – with delegates passing a motion on Monday committing STUC resources to counter the issue.

In his speech on Tuesday, Mr Sarwar laid the blame for the rise of Reform, which looks some polls have suggested could win 10 or more MSP seats next year, at the feet of the SNP.

He insisted: “We shouldn’t sit in some kind of comfortable bubble here in Scotland, thinking that somehow we’re immune to the politics of division or the politics of the far right or the politics of Reform UK.”

But claiming that Mr Swinney “doesn’t get it”, he went on to link the rise of Reform to the “daily failure” of the Scottish Government to deliver for voters.

Mr Sarwar, addressing the Scottish Trades Union Congress annual congress, said: “The truth is I don’t believe John Swinney and the Scottish Government get it.

“I don’t think they understand what everyone in this room understands – that is, that the rise of reactionary and divisive politics is absolutely and intrinsically linked to the daily failure of those in power here to deliver for the people of our country.”

He said that until that “fundamental challenge” is addressed, “we will not tackle divisive politics in our society”.

Mr Sarwar said: “We have to end the failure to support our public services, the failure to tackle inequality and the failure ultimately to make life better for the people politics is supposed to serve.

“The best way to stop people going to the politics of division and the far right is for governments to improve people’s lives, that is the fundamental challenge facing us.”

After the speech, Ms Foyer agreed that the SNP’s 18 years in Government have contributed to voters looking elsewhere, but that the less than 12 months of Labour Government in Westminster has also played a role.

“Working people are starting to look for answers elsewhere in our politics, outwith the mainstream parties” she said.

“Because we’ve had an SNP Government for 18 years that’s talked the talk and not walked the walk enough in terms of making a material difference to people in working class communities.

“And we now have a Labour Government that has promised us change and we’re still waiting to see that change coming through on the ground and making a difference to people’s household budgets.”

An attendee at the First Minister’s anti far-right summit in Glasgow last week, Ms Foyer urged politicians to regain trust with the public ahead of next year, with a simple message around how to do so: “Delivery, delivery, delivery – I can’t say it enough.”