Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Statement Following Meeting with Scottish Labour Leadership 

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) met with the Scottish Labour Leader and Deputy Leader to discuss recent remarks referring to a “stroke pose.”

Mr Sarwar offered a sincere apology. Our discussion was constructive and centred on the experiences of people affected by stroke. 

We welcome a shared commitment to practical steps that will help improve understanding of the condition, address stigma, stroke prevention and stroke care: 

• Aphasia and stroke awareness training for all MSPs

Scottish Labour agreed to support our call to ensure every MSP in the new 2026 intake has a basic understanding of stroke, aphasia and other communication challenges, and the long term impact on individuals and families. 

• Support for Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention in Scotland’s most deprived communities

Scottish Labour committed to supporting our campaign to raise awareness of the importance of CVD checks and tackling CVD risk factors in communities where the burden of ill health is greatest. 

Scottish Labour is also supportive of the need to improve stroke prevention, rehabilitation and long term support and will be setting out their plans to improve these services in the upcoming election.  

Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of CHSS, said: “We appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with the Scottish Labour leadership about the impact of Mr Sarwar’s comments.

“Today’s conversation was about more than a single remark. It was about making sure political leaders understand the seriousness of stroke, the challenges people face every day in their recovery, and the need for better stroke care across Scotland.  

“We welcome the commitments made and will continue working with all parties to improve support and outcomes for people affected by stroke.” 

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said:  “I want to repeat my sincere, unreserved and unequivocal apology. I appreciated the meeting with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the constructive discussion about the experiences of people affected by stroke. That should never be minimised.  

“We need to learn from those experiences and make sure policy making reflects them.  

“That includes better awareness of stroke and aphasia, stronger action on cardiovascular disease prevention in Scotland’s most deprived communities, and improving stroke prevention, rehabilitation and long term support. These issues must be addressed in the next Parliament.” 

If you’re living with the effects of a chest, heart or stroke condition or Long Covid and are looking for advice and information, please contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899. You can also text ADVICE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk.  

For media enquiries, please contact media@chss.org.uk.