Sarwar appeals to SNP voters to back Labour to oust Tories from power at Westminster

His speech comes days after his party won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by election taking some 58% of all votes cast and with a swing of 24% away from the SNP. Many new supporters would have previously voted SNP and supported independence in the 2014 referendum.

Labour’s attention is now considerably focused on the Westminster election with a series of opinion polls putting it ahead of Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives.

READ MORE: Analysis: Are the tectonic plates shifting in Scottish politics?

“I want to speak directly to people outside of this hall,” he told delegates at his party’s annual conference in Liverpool.

“To people who voted for other parties or who even voted Yes in the past but who are now looking at Labour. I understand your frustration. I understand why you are desperate for change.

I understand why you have wanted to run a million miles away from this morally bankrupt Tory government.

“But I believe that we can work together to boot them out of Downing Street.”

He went on to describe the general election as “an opportunity for change” – a key theme among speakers at the four day conference event and took aim at both the SNP and the Conservatives on their records in government.

“We’ve had a lost decade under the SNP and the Tories, which has held Scotland back,” he said.

READ MORE: Anas Sarwar: Scottish Labour can beat SNP at general election

“We face a cost-of-living crisis created by the Conservatives’ economic incompetence. A mortgage bombshell from the Tories costing families over £2000 a year. Made worse by the SNP’s obsession with raising taxes on working people.

 “And an NHS emergency with record A&E and cancer waiting times – lives literally put on the line because of the SNP’s incompetence.”

He continued: “The people of our country shouldn’t have to pay the price for Tory and SNP failure. Across Scotland people are demanding more. There is a tide coming and it will sweep away politicians who are out of touch and out of ideas.

“So, I say to these parties of the status quo, to the parties of chaos and division:

Don’t be surprised when the tide of change comes, and it sweeps you away.”

During his address, Mr Sarwar said that Scottish Labour can beat the SNP in seats “across Scotland”.

He said: “No SNP MP can sit safely, taking their communities for granted as so many have.

“So I say to Humza Yousaf: this isn’t about swings or the polls – this is about putting the people of Scotland first.

“And because you won’t do that – we can beat you across Scotland. Every community in Scotland now has the chance to choose change with Scottish Labour.”

He went on to outline what Labour could offer voters struggling against the cost of living crisis saying his party would “ban exploitative zero hour contracts” and “deliver the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation”.

He said a Labour government would “jump-start the energy revolution” which would deliver lower bills and more jobs.

And he promised a new deal that would “deliver clean energy by 2030, supporting 50,000 high-skilled, clean energy jobs” through the creation of a publicly-owned energy generation company GB Energy, which would be headquartered in Scotland.

He also vowed that a Labour government would “reform our public services, ending the non-dom tax status to invest in the NHS so it is fit for the future”.

To applause from the audience, Mr Sarwar continued: “And we will bring honesty and integrity back into government. That is the change Scotland needs, and Labour will deliver it.

Scottish Conservative Party chairman Craig Hoy said: “Anas Sarwar’s speech was the same tired slogans shuffled in a different order.

“Once again, the Scottish Labour leader had nothing new or of substance to say because he has little to no disagreement with how Humza Yousaf is running Scotland.

“Labour voted for the SNP’s Gender Reform Bill and support their plans to throw tens of thousands of North Sea oil and gas workers on the scrapheap.

“The Scottish Conservatives are the only party voters can trust to stand up to the SNP at Holyrood and the only party that can beat them in a number of two-way seats at next year’s General Election.”