Starmer accused of 'skulking' and shunning Sarwar in Scotland

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of "skulking" around Scotland and shunning Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar during a flying visit.

The prime minister visited the Faslane nuclear base for two-and-a-half hours on Saturday after arriving from Paris following the UK-France summit on the Iran crisis.

BBC Scotland understands Sir Keir did not meet Sarwar or any Scottish Labour colleagues as they campaigned for the Holyrood election.

First Minister John Swinney said it was "strange" that Sir Keir was not joining Scottish candidates on the campaign trail, while Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay accused him of "skulking" and said he seemed "unable to look Sarwar in the eyes".

A Downing Street spokesman said: "Following talks in Paris on the Strait of Hormuz, the prime minister visited Scotland for a defence and security trip to thank UK personnel for their dedication and service. Further details will be set out tomorrow."

Sarwar said: "He's the prime minister of the UK and it's right that he makes a visit, particularly when it relates to defence.

"I think that's important given the global consequences of the situation we have right now.

"His job is to be prime minister and govern the country. My job is to lead a campaign and change the government here in Scotland and that's what I'm focused on doing."

The Scottish Labour leader said it did not surprise him that others in the party did not join his calls for Sir Keir to resign, which he said hurt him on a personal level.

Sarwar said there was "no point pretending there wasn't personal pain, but I did what I did and I stand by it".

He added: "People know what the tipping point was for me but what I'm relentlessly focused on is making sure that we change the first minister in this country because this election is about our schools, our hospitals, our local services.

"It's about our towns, cities, villages and islands. It's not about an endorsement of Keir Starmer or voting for who the prime minister is.

"It's about rejecting 20 years of the SNP and getting change with Scottish Labour."

The Faslane base, on the Gare Loch about 25 miles (40km) north-west of Glasgow, is the home of all the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines.

This includes the UK's four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines which carry Trident nuclear missiles.

Swinney said: "The prime minister is quite clearly on a very quiet visit to Scotland. I don't know what the purpose of it is and I don't know any details of it.

"It seems strange that a Labour prime minister comes to Scotland during an election campaign and doesn't appear to be campaigning with the Labour Party.

"It's almost as if the Labour Party is ashamed of the prime minister."

He said Sir Keir was a "failed" and "incompetent" prime minister who who would not last beyond 7 May elections.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: "It seems that Kier Starmer is skulking around a top-secret high security submarine base unable to face the public, unable to even look Anas Sarwar in the eyes.

"And that's because he's a busted flush. He has lied to the public. He's lied to Parliament.

"No wonder Anas Sarwar wants nothing to do with him. The guy shouldn't be in Downing Street and he's a complete and utter disgrace."

Findlay said it was time for Scottish Labour MPs to join Sarwar in his calls for Sir Keir to resign.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "I'm not surprised Anas Sarwar doesn't want to be seen with Keir Starmer, who is mired in controversy.

"If he has misled Parliament, he should resign."

Gillian Mackay, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said the fact that Sir Keir and Sarwar had not met up showed the "ridiculous position that Labour are in".

She added: "The fact that their Scottish leader and the prime minister can't be at the same visit together just shows how divided they are - and how inappropriate they are to be running the country."

Sir Keir has come under intense scrutiny from opposition MPs, who have sought to cast doubt on his insistence that he first learned Mandelson had failed the vetting process earlier this week.

Lord Mandelson failed developed vetting (DV) – an intrusive process designed to ensure that people with access to secret information, like ambassadors, do not pose a potential security risk.

The prime minister had previously told the Commons that "due process" was followed over Mandelson's appointment, prompting accusations from opposition MPs that he misled Parliament.

On Friday evening, Downing Street took the unusual step of releasing an official account of the meeting on 15 April, during which the prime minister has said he was informed about Mandelson's vetting for the first time.

He said the decision not to inform him sooner was "staggering" and added: "That I wasn't told that he had failed security vetting when I was telling Parliament that due process had been followed is unforgivable."

The SNP has said "Keir Starmer's version of events is simply not credible - and his excuses don't stack up" - after it emerged No 10 was warned that Mandelson failed his security vetting months ago.

Faslane's Vanguard submarines are the sole platform for the UK's nuclear weapons and are due to be replaced by the new Dreadnought-class submarines after 2030.

It is also the home of Astute-class nuclear powered but conventionally armed attack submarines.

The UK's stock of nuclear warheads is based nearby at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) Coulport on nearby Loch Long.

The UK has operated continuous at-sea deterrence since 1969, with first Polaris and then Trident missiles stored on and launched from nuclear-powered submarines with the capacity to remain submerged at sea for months.

Faslane has long been the focus of anti-war protests from groups such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

A peace camp has been based just outside the site since 1982.

The camp began as a protest against the Thatcher government's decision to purchase the Trident nuclear missile system, but remains nearly 40 years later.

The community, composed of residents living in caravans and temporary structures, holds regular anti-nuclear demonstrations, vigils, and direct actions against nuclear weapons.