Explosive TV Debate Sees Sarwar Accuse Reform of Targeting His Children
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar made explosive claims during a televised leaders' debate, alleging that a Reform UK candidate wants to deport his children. The fiery exchange with Reform's Scottish leader Lord Malcolm Offord dominated the second live debate of the Holyrood election campaign, hosted by Channel 4 News in Glasgow.
Immigration Clash Turns Personal
Mr Sarwar, who acknowledged the immigration system is 'broken' and requires fixing, launched a furious attack on Lord Offord, accusing him of raising immigration concerns to sow division. He also condemned SNP leader John Swinney for suggesting Labour would secretly collaborate with Reform.
Speaking directly to Lord Offord during the heated exchange, Mr Sarwar declared: 'He says they are not a racist party. One of his candidates wants to deport my children. Where do you want them to go, Malcolm?'
'One of your candidates wants my children deported, where do you want us to go? How dare you use that as a cover for politics. Where do you want my kids to go?' Mr Sarwar demanded.
Counter-Allegations of Secret Deals
Lord Offord responded sharply: 'Anas, this is the third time on national TV that you have called me a racist. This does not square with you coming bouncing up to me at the start of this campaign and basically saying we need to work together - Reform and Labour - to remove the SNP.'
Mr Sarwar dismissed these claims as 'utter nonsense' and 'an absolute lie' in the media spin room following the debate. He insisted: 'Let's remember those racist ads, lets talk about you wanting to deport my children. Don't you try to jump on this and try and play politics. This is a moral issue.'
Origins of the Deportation Claim
The Labour leader's comments referenced Reform candidate Senga Beresford, who represents Galloway and West Dumfries. Ms Beresford replied 'Me' to a social media post from Britain First's deputy leader stating: 'In the UK Muslims are demanding that sharia law is implemented. I demand that we deport the lot of them. Who's with me?'
Lord Offord maintained there was 'no prospect' of Mr Sarwar or his family being deported, while alleging the Labour leader had privately suggested collaboration. He claimed the conversation occurred backstage during a BBC Question Time programme in Paisley Town Hall on December 11, shortly after he joined Reform.
'I walked into that green room and Anas, very friendly, came bouncing over and said to me "you guys are going to do very well in the election, you are going to win a lot of seats, we need to talk about how we are going to work together to get rid of the Nats". I'm not making it up,' Lord Offord told journalists.
Further Allegations of Duplicity
Reform councillor Thomas Kerr supported these claims, alleging a separate occasion on Remembrance Sunday when Mr Sarwar suggested working together to oust the SNP. Mr Kerr stated: 'The question genuinely for people in Scotland here is Anas Sarwar stands for nothing bar Anas Sarwar. This is a vacuous man who has no principles, who will say anything publicly and a different thing privately.'
'And I think genuinely people in Scotland have to ask themselves is that someone they trust to be First Minister?' he added.
Energy Policy Disputes Emerge
The debate also featured significant clashes over energy policy. SNP leader John Swinney rejected former US President Donald Trump's call for the UK to 'drill, baby drill' in the North Sea, despite Trump criticizing 'absolutely crazy' UK government policy and suggesting 'Aberdeen should be booming.'
Mr Swinney responded: 'I don't agree with President Trump on "drill, baby drill". I think we've got enormous challenges about energy but Scotland is an energy-rich country which is developing formidable renewable energy resources.'
He emphasized that Scotland fails to see economic benefits from its energy wealth and wants 'Scotland's energy in Scotland's hands.'
Conservative Criticism of SNP Stance
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay accused Mr Swinney of promoting a 'big lie' in his election campaign. 'John Swinney is putting a big lie at the heart of his election campaign with some idea that independence will suddenly, magically reduce the bills of hard-working Scots who have seen their bills go up, but he has not produced a shred of evidence to support it,' Mr Findlay declared.
'What we support is a sensible energy mix and that starts with drilling for the oil and gas that we have in abundance in the North Sea,' he added.
Mr Swinney countered that oil and gas would be utilized for 30-40 years, with any developments needing compatibility with Scotland's net zero journey. However, Mr Findlay later remarked in the spin room: 'John Swinney is spinning more wildly than an offshore windmill on a windy day. He has got more faces than multiple townhall clocks on oil and gas.'
'He is playing a really sneaky game. He is trying to tell the oil and gas workers in the north east of Scotland that he is on their side and he vaguely now might support new drilling, when it is clearly the case that he is still sticking to Nicola Sturgeon's opposition to new oil and gas,' Mr Findlay asserted.
Independence Security Questions Raised
During the debate, Lord Offord directly questioned Mr Swinney about whether Scotland would be safer and more secure if the UK fragmented. The SNP leader replied: 'I think Scotland would be safer.'
Mr Findlay responded critically: 'There is a very good reason that the disgusting Iranian regime supports Scottish independence. That's because they know Scotland and the United Kingdom would be fundamentally weaker if John Swinney got his way.'
In clashes over independence, Lord Offord expressed skepticism about Mr Swinney's seriousness regarding another independence referendum, questioning the SNP leader's commitment to pursuing a fresh vote on Scotland's constitutional future.
