A LABOUR civil war broke out today as PM Sir Keir Starmer’s lackies branded Scottish backbenchers calling for his replacement “idiots.”

The extraordinary attacks followed Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar urging the ailing PM to stay out of Holyrood campaigning on Monday.

Asked during a speech in Edinburgh whether he wanted Sir Keir to campaign in Scotland, Mr Sarwar told a room packed with Labour MPs and activists: “I would say the best thing that Keir Starmer and the UK Labour government can do is be behind their doors and in their departments getting things right and changing our outcomes.”

Mr Sarwar blamed Sir Keir’s missteps for leaving the party clear underdogs in run-up to May election, hitting out at the party’s failure to communicate its achievements to voters, including raising wages and tackling NHS waiting lists, while making serious errors, such as cancelling the winter fuel payment.

But Sir Keir’s allies told The Times: “These idiots need to stop being part of the problem … not least the select few on the payroll who brief against him one day in London while queuing up in Glasgow the next to get a selfie after his keynote speech.”

Another ally said: “They’re hypocrites. They’re idiots if they think they would have won their seats without Keir.”

Recent polling shows SNP ahead, while Scottish Labour has been overtaken by Reform UK in some surveys.

Today SNP deputy Westminster leader Pete Wishart MP said: “The Labour Party is in utter chaos and this bitter infighting is a disaster for Anas Sarwar with just months until the Scottish election, but the fact is it’s a direct consequence of his schoolboy political judgement. 

“Just 18 months ago Anas Sarwar was telling Scots that Keir Starmer was the best thing since sliced bread and now he’s turned on him — it really is desperate stuff and tells Scots everything they need to know about this chancer. 

“Keir Starmer has been a disaster for Scotland so it’s little surprise his party in Scotland is polling fourth, but this desperate attack on Starmer won’t wash with Scots who saw Anas Sarwar bend over backwards to defend every rank decision his London Labour boss made over the past 18 months.”