NICOLA Sturgeon has given Anas Sarwar a brutal taste of life as Scottish Labour leader, by using his controversial family business to accuse him and his party of hypocrisy.
At First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon seized on remarks by interim Labour boss Alex Rowley about tax and millionaires to lambast the wealthy leadership candidate.
The Glasgow MSP is a multi-millionaire thanks to a stake in his family’s cash and carry firm, which does not pay staff the £8.45 an hour real living wage promoted by Labour.
Mr Sarwar this week said United Whole (Scotland) Ltd didn't pay the living wage because it was only voluntary, not mandatory.
Ms Sturgeon said Mr Sarwar “clearly clearly illustrates… a gulf as wide as the Clyde between what Labour says and what Labour does”.
Mr Rowley, whose daughter runs the leadership campaign of left-winger Richard Leonard, later denied “setting up” Mr Sarwar by providing Ms Sturgeon with ammunition.
“That’s just stupid, isn’t it?” he said, although other Labour MSPs were unconvinced.
The exchange followed Mr Rowley criticised the SNP’s plan to give a £180m tax break to the airline industry by halving air departure tax despite a recent increase in child poverty.
He said: “Every single time the SNP has a tax decision to make it sides with the millionaires rather than with the millions.”
After SNP ministers and MSPs jeered and pointed at Mr Sarwar, Mr Rowley called the SNP “another party for the few, not the many”, prompting even an louder commotion.
Ms Sturgeon replied: “Can I just say I thought it was really unfair of Alex Rowley to personalise this debate by bringing Anas Sarwar into it.
“The problem here, as Anas Sarwar so clearly illustrates, is that there is a massive gulf, a gulf as wide as the Clyde, between what Labour says and what Labour does.
“We have a Labour leadership candidate lecturing others about doing the right thing on pay, yet his own family firm won’t pay the living wage voluntarily.
“So Labour should get its own house in order.”
Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh urged MSPs to “refrain from personal attacks”.
However her official spokesman later defended the First Minister’s line of attack.
He said: “Alex Rowley appeared to open the door to a particular line and she used it.”
Asked about the attack on him, Mr Sarwar said he was tough enough to take it.
He said: “I’m a minority shareholder [in United Whole (Scotland) Ltd].
“I don’t have a say in what happens in the company.
“If Nicola Sturgeon wants to start the Anas Sarwar versus Nicola Sturgeon First Minister’s Questions now that’s up to her.
“The bottom line is this: I’m a resilient individual who is ready to go toe-to-toe with Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. I’m ready to lead this political party to fight to return a Labour Scottish Government. I’m ready for any challenge.”
Meanwhile, Mr Sarwar’s rival for the Labour leadership, Richard Leonard has picked up more union endorsements, including that of the centre-right shopworkers union Usdaw.
Usdaw was one of only two unions to back Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour leader in 2015.
Mr Leonard also has the support of rail unions Aslef, the TSSA and the super-union Unite.
A spokesperson for Mr Leonard’s campaign said: “This is a fantastic endorsement for Richard’s ideas.
“Usdaw have always been seen as being on the right wing of the Labour Party. Their support shows that Richard’s message of real change is gaining support across the whole spectrum of Labour Party opinion, and that he is the candidate who can unite the party effectively.”
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