If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like 'Could Andy Burnham be prime minister?' https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002jtst

With polls suggesting Scottish Labour are struggling to maintain support, what can Anas Sarwar do to turn things around and does he need to distance himself from Sir Keir Starmer?

Martin Geissler is joined by pollster Mark Diffley who lays out the challenges for Labour ahead of the Scottish elections in May 2026 and former political adviser John McTernan tells us what he would do to fend off a rising Reform party.

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch: [email protected]