Scottish Labour has lost a third of its members during Anas Sarwar’s time as leader, according to a candidate now vying to replace him.
The figures have emerged as the party scrambles to find a new leader following Sarwar’s departure, with the membership collapse adding serious pressure to whoever takes on the top job in Scotland.
One of the candidates in the running to succeed Sarwar has pointed to the dramatic drop in numbers as evidence that the party needs a major shake-up. The claim puts the scale of Scottish Labour’s struggle into sharp focus, at a time when the party had hoped momentum from UK Labour’s general election victory would give them a boost north of the border.
Scottish Labour has been fighting to claw back relevance in Scotland for years. The SNP swept the party aside over a decade ago, turning what was once a Labour stronghold into nationalist territory. Despite some signs of recovery at Westminster level, Holyrood remains a very different story.
Sarwar took over the Scottish Labour leadership in 2021 and was widely seen as a steady, professional figure who modernised the party’s image. Under his watch, Scottish Labour did make gains at the 2024 general election, winning back a clutch of Scottish seats at Westminster for the first time in years. But the membership numbers now being cited suggest that progress at the ballot box did not translate into people actually joining up and getting behind the party.
A membership that shrinks by a third is a serious problem for any political party. Members are the lifeblood of a party machine. They knock doors, stuff envelopes, donate money and keep local branches alive. Without them, the whole operation becomes harder to run and the party risks becoming hollowed out, winning votes without actually building a movement.
The leadership contest now under way will be crucial in deciding whether Scottish Labour can reverse that decline. Candidates are already setting out their stalls, with the membership figures being used as a rallying cry for change by at least one of those putting themselves forward.
The timing is awkward for the party. UK Labour under Keir Starmer is in government, but is already facing its own polling difficulties south of the border. Scottish Labour needs to carve out a distinct identity and convince voters and potential members alike that it stands for something worth backing.
With the next Scottish Parliament election on the horizon, the new leader will have limited time to rebuild. Membership numbers matter not just for morale but for the practical business of running a campaign across every constituency in the country.
Whoever wins the leadership race will inherit a party that, despite its recent Westminster gains, is still a long way from challenging the SNP for power at Holyrood. The membership collapse makes that task even harder, and will likely dominate the early weeks of the new leader’s tenure as they try to arrest the decline and bring fresh energy into the party.