The Guardian‘s supposed Scottish correspondents, Libby Brooks and Severin Carrell, today, repeat this myth:

Starmer’s unpopularity was insurmountable for Scottish Labour – and a boon for Reform – Long before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.

When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, strode into the Glasgow count arena on Friday afternoon flanked by sombre-faced activists, the scene was a mirror image to the same venue in 2024, when his resurgent party won 36 seats from the Scottish National party, playing a significant part in Keir Starmer’s landslide victory.

Two years later, Starmer’s unpopularity proved an insurmountable obstacle for Sarwar, despite record donations [from the ricj] to Scottish Labour and a formidable electoral machine, honed over the past five years. And with only a handful of constituencies declared, he decided to concede defeat before the real scale of Labour losses across the country was known.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/09/starmers-unpopularity-was-insurmountable-for-scottish-labour-and-a-boon-for-reform

They’ve be working this line for years.

Last September, 7 months out from Holyrood 26, they knew they were in trouble despite the July 2024 Labour ‘Change’ wave in the General Election, when we in the SNP got s chilling reminder of just how easily influence most of the electorate is.

In the Scotsman 7 March 2026,  Prof Curtice claimed:

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party “really are in deep doo-doo”, polling guru Sir John Curtice has said. Sir John, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said the party’s poll rating is arguably at an all-time low.

That was obviously true but this wasn’t:

Pollster Mark Diffley said recent developments were bad news for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar as his party looks towards the Holyrood election next year. “It’s really bad timing, obviously, for Anas,” he told The Scotsman. “Hugely bad.” He added: “He must think, ‘Will I ever get a clear run to be able to make some progress?’”

Mr Diffley said Labour is polling badly in Scotland because of perceptions of the UK Government.

“It seems to me he [Mr Sarwar] just can’t get on the front foot, really,” he said. “It feels like he’s going into this with one arm tied behind his back with everything that’s going on completely outwith his control, but which is continually negatively impacting his chances. That must be hugely frustrating.” He said Scottish Labour are “hamstrung” by events down south. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/sir-john-curtice-starmers-labour-really-are-in-deep-doo-doo-5305573

This is an old story now – the idea than Anas Sarwar would do better in the polls if it wasn’t for Sir Keir Starmer’s policies.

It’s hard to see the sense in this when it ignores so much.

First, the people now know that, despite BBC Scotland’s attempts to shield him from scrutiny, Sarwar is on record as having publicly supported all of those same policies, including scrapping benefits, closing a Scottish refinery and genocide in Gaza.

Second, the people also know that their new local Labour MP has been loyally voting with the PM on all of those same policies and, I’ve heard, not responding to them.

Third, in the last 10 UK polls, Reform UK has had an average lead over Labour of 10.9 while in Scotland, the SNP has had an average lead over Labour of 14. Labour in Scotland, under Sarwar, are doing worse than Labour in the UK under Starmer.

So, it’s not Starmer to blame but Sarwar and the Scottish Labour MSPs and MPs to blame for being cynical opportunists and/or spineless lackeys