By Paul Hutcheon

Copyright dailyrecord

Anas Sarwar has launched an attack on a UK Government watchdog over fears they will land the country with £20bn of Budget tax rises . The Scottish Labour leader has accused the Office for Budget Responsibility of a “doom loop” of negative stats and acting as a “hand brake” on growth . He also said the OBR had to be careful they do not portray workers as “lazy” through their official forecasts . Sarwar made the comments on the eve of Labour’s pivotal conference in Liverpool. Scottish Labour are 17 points behind the SNP in the race for Holyrood and Sarwar is keen for momentum. But senior party figures are worried about the UK Government’s Budget in November and the likelihood of crippling tax rises. Around £30bn of tax hikes might be needed, with £20bn of the total reportedly linked to upcoming economic forecasts by the OBR. Labour figures worry the OBR projections could damage the Government and deal a hammer blow to Sarwar’s chances of becoming First Minister. In an interview, Sarwar said: “I think what the OBR has to think very seriously about is are they inadvertently creating a doom loop that is actually restricting opportunities for a UK Government to deliver the growth we need and the economic prosperity we need, to improve the life chances and outcomes of the people in the country? “Are they acting as a hand brake and as a deterrent to prosperity, rather than a help to a Government to get us into that sound financial footing?” He added: “I have seen the same reports you have around the productivity score. I don’t think our workforce in the country is lazy.” Asked if the OBR could be sending out a message that workers are “lazy”, he replied: “I think there is a danger that that’s what could be said, so I hope they think very seriously about that.” Sarwar also urged the Labour Government to raise its game after a difficult first fifteen months. The Glasgow MSP believes the Starmer administration has done a poor job at times in communicating its successes: “There are great things that this Labour Government has done to make huge progress and to demonstrate change. What we have to do is to shout louder about those good things, as well as demonstrate how we are going to confront some of the biggest challenges that still remain in our country.” He said positives include lower mortgages, higher wages and a defence deal to secure shipbuilding jobs, but Sarwar claimed the Government has not sold these wins to voters. “I think if you went out there and spoke to the public, they probably havn’t heard of them, or don’t know about them. We have got to do a much, much better job of amplifying the successes as well as of course confronting the challenges.” He also appeared to concede the Labour Government’s national insurance hike on firms had damaged relations with business: “There is a general sense from business that that feeling of growth being front and centre has felt challenged given the decision made on for example around national insurance and suchlike.” Sarwar believes the focus of the next Holyrood election should be on the SNP’s record, rather than the performance of Labour at Westminster: “The one residence that fundamentally needs a new tenant is actually the resident of Bute House.” “If you want to have the most meaningful change in someone’s life in Scotland, that comes from changing this SNP Government and changing the First Minister.” He also said the SNP has failed to deliver on the billions extra of funding provided to Holyrood by the Labour Government in its first Budget: “The question is: what has happened with that money and investment in Scotland?” “What have we got to show for it? NHS waiting lists are falling in England. They are still going up in Scotland.” On the current polls, which show the SNP on course for a fifth term in May, he said: “I don’t think the public at large is yet thinking about the Scottish election, the outcome of the Scottish election, and I think when that moment comes you will see a significant difference in the polls.” After their general election last win, Scottish Labour were red hot favourites to defeat the SNP next year at Holyrood, but he says he is the underdog now: “I’ve always been the underdog as Scottish Labour leader. I was the underdog in the general election. We won. I was the underdog in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. We won. I am the underdog in the Scottish election and I am confident we are going to win.” Scots should not expect to see the Prime Minister featuring prominently during the Holyrood campaign. Sarwar declined to offer Starmer his full backing this week and he is lukewarm about the PM campaigning on the doorsteps. “Of course he will be playing a part in the campaign. A campaign I will be leading.” “I think people would find it really bizarre if the prime minister was spending too much time chapping doors in Glasgow rather than being behind the door of Number Ten. He concluded: “If he wants to come out and chap some doors in my constituency, or other constituencies, he is more than welcome to.” To sign up to the Daily R ecord Politics newsletter, click here