'Why would you know better?!' Camilla Tominey hands Labour MP grilling on local election delay

Mr Downie responded: "As a Scottish MP, that's not something I've been directly affected by.

"We're carrying on, as you can imagine. We've got elections in May where we'll try and make Anas Sarwar the First Minister of Scotland."

Sir Keir Starmer's decision to cancel council contests for millions of Britons this spring have been slammed by the head of Britain's elections watchdog.

Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the Electoral Commission, said it was a "fundamental point" the contests be held.

He said: "We would hope that no Government would go and say that somehow elections are fungible with other parts of council money."

Mr Downie defended the decision further, telling Camilla: "The Government has very strong and robust reasons why they are choosing and the local authorities are choosing to postpone those elections.

"Of course, democracy is a absolutely vital thing to continue with, and those elections will be held down the line at more appropriate times, but the requests from those elections to be postponed have come from the councils themselves."

He stressed: "And I think that's the thing to remember as well. My focus is on what I'll be doing later on this morning, which is knocking doors in Dunfermline and Dollar and campaigning for our fantastic Scottish Labour candidates for the elections in May."

Referencing Mr Sarwar's recent calls for Sir Keir to resign over the Peter Mandelson scandal, Camilla pushed back: "Wouldn't there be something ludicrous about installing Anas Sarwar as First Minister for Scotland if he thinks that the Prime Minister isn't up to the job?'

The Labour MP said: "No, absolutely not. I think that's a clearly ridiculous perspective to have. Anas Sarwar has been very clear in his views and that's his right as an individual, as the leader of the Scottish Labour Party.

"He's asked questions, he's got his views, he's entitled to hold them. What the election in Scotland is about is about whether or not we want a third decade of the SNP in power ruining Scotland's health, education, skills, education and other systems."

He added: "Meanwhile, we've got a threat from Russia that the SNP is not taking seriously by abandoning engagement with defence companies. That's what the choices that Scottish people have in me, and that's what we'll be campaigning for strongly."

Hitting back at Mr Downie's remarks, Camilla swiped: "Sorry, Mr Downie, you think it's ridiculous of me to suggest that there may be a contradiction at the heart of Anas Sarwar, aiming to be the First Minister of Scotland, when he is actually called for his own Prime Minister in his own party to resign, saying the Government's made too many mistakes.

"You don't think there's a conflict there? There's a conflict, isn't there, Mr. Downie?"

The Labour MP told GB News: "He is campaigning to be the First minister of Scotland, that is exactly what he's campaigning for."

Camilla interjected again, saying: "He doesn't think the Prime Minister should be in place. This is the Labour leader and Prime Minister, and Anas Sarwar doesn't think he should be there, and you don't think that's a contradiction?"

Mr Downie responded: "Absolutely not. He's given his views on the Prime Minister as leader of the Scottish Labour Party. He's absolutely entitled to have those views.

"The Prime Minister has made clear that he's spoken to Anas a number of times over the last week. The Prime Minister's mission and our mission are both the same, which is to replace John Swinney as the First Minister of Scotland at the elections in May, and that is what they will carry on working together to do so."

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