Just 40 miles away... but Starmer and Sarwar are worlds apart

By HANNAH RODGER and PAUL DRURY FOR THE SCOTTISH MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 19:15, 18 April 2026 | Updated: 19:19, 18 April 2026 Sir Keir Starmer steered clear of his party’s Scottish leader Anas Sarwar during a visit north of the Border today – despite being just 40 miles away. The lack of interaction between the pair came as Mr Sarwar told the Scottish Mail on Sunday he’s not even spoken to Sir Keir for more than two months and reiterated his calls for the UK leader to quit. The Prime Minister continues to face pressure over his government’s handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal after it emerged the former mandarin failed enhanced security vetting but was appointed as Westminster’s ambassador in Washington regardless. Sir Keir not only avoided Mr Sarwar but also the waiting press when he visited the Faslane Naval Base to greet submariners returning after a lengthy period at sea. Mr Sarwar, who was campaigning in Airdrie with local candidate Suzanne MacLeod just 40 miles from Faslane, said: ‘The last time I directly spoke to [Starmer] was a few days after I made the call for him to resign.’ He said that while it was ‘appropriate’ for the Prime Minister to carry out his ‘defence-related visit’ in Scotland, he added: ‘He’s got a prime ministerial diary, I’ve got a campaign diary.’ The rift between the two men first began in February when Sarwar publicly called for Sir Keir to quit over the Mandelson scandal. Anas Sarwar in Airdrie with local candidate Suzanne MacLeod  The Scottish Labour leader said the latest iteration of the debacle – which has seen the top civil servant Olly Robbins sacked – ‘demonstrates why I said what I said in February.’ He said: ‘I stand by that. I don’t recoil from that…Many of the issues that people are talking about now were the tipping point for me, in terms of being willing to defend the indefensible.’ Turning to the campaign which he hopes will see him oust John Swinney from Bute House, Mr Sarwar said: ‘I’m focusing on this election campaign to get rid of the SNP, to change the First Minister. ‘I say openly to people across Scotland that I get the disappointment. I share it. ‘But this election campaign’s not about expressing disappointment in a government somewhere else, or a politician somewhere else. It’s about doing what’s right by Scotland.’ He added: ‘Keir Starmer is not standing to be First Minister. It’s me and John Swinney that are standing to be First Minister, and let’s not let the actions of two years mean the SNP get off the hook for 20 years.’ Downing Street was tight-lipped about the Prime Minister’s visit to Faslane, with aides claiming they were unable to give details about the trip’s purpose or allow questions to be put to Sir Keir on ‘security grounds’ this morning. They failed to respond when asked if the PM was avoiding his Scottish colleagues, and if he had simply given up on the election campaign north of the border. Sir Keir spent almost three hours at the most secure military establishment in Scotland, with his cavalcade of six Range Rovers and Fords sweeping into into the base at 12.20pm. He remained there until just after 3pm. The Prime Minister leaving Faslane earlier with a motorcade and police Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie MP said the Labour party ‘just aren’t at the races’ and said: ‘The Scottish Labour party’s campaign is in absoute chaos. You’ve got two leaders who won’t be seen together at the same time, the leader of the UK labour party who has lost the confidence of the Scottish Labour party and is embroiled in scandal over Peter Mandelson... It’s time they frankly just gave up. ‘It seems the closest Keir Starmer likes to get to the voting public these days is behind the highest security fence in Britain, on one of the most defended securty sites in the world. ‘Its quite extraordinary and shows just what an electoral liability Keir Starmer actually is.’ John Swinney also called for Sir Keir to quit and said: ‘You cannot have someone who’s incompetent being the prime minister, so I think the prime minister has to resign.’ The home of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, Faslane has appeared within a number of security controversies in recent weeks. Last month, an Iranian man and Romanian woman were held after allegedly attempting to enter the top secret site near Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. It also came under scrutiny earlier this month when a naval officer quit after allegedly exchanging ‘flirtatious’ messages with Labour MP Joani Reid. The East Kilbride and Strathaven MP’s husband David Taylor is currently facing claims of spying for China, an was arrested in March alongside two former Labour advisors. Separately, Ms Reid was said to have behaved inappropriately during a visit to the nuclear base on the Clyde last year. Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar in happier times on the football field  The MP had been involved in the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme when she visited the site and was said to have been ‘extremely drunk’ and ‘all over’ a senior officer during the trip. It resulted in her leaving the scheme early and the incident was reported to parliamentary authorities. A source close to Ms Reid dismissed suggestions she had any relationship with the submariner and said: ‘Many of the male MPs attending had plenty to drink too but only the woman is reported. Not hard to see what the real force behind this is when you consider that.’ Sir Keir’s visit to Faslane comes around a year after he previously met with submariners there. The PM was at the base in March 2025 to welcome home Royal Navy submariners on board HMS Vanguard as they returned from one of the longest ever patrols made by a nuclear-armed vessel. Images from that visit showed Sir Keir as he boarded the ageing Vanguard-class submarine, armed with Trident missiles, after it returned to UK waters on what is referred to as ‘Day Zero’. In total, Vanguard had spent 204 days at sea. During the meeting he was said to have thanked submariners for their months of silent service under water. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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